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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · patient · hand · bank · charge · track · foot · mine

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. charge — a price
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. track — a song
  5. hand — in cards
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. track — a path
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mine — for digging
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bank — of a river
  15. hand — help
  16. bank — for money
  17. charge — electricity
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. charge — in control
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bank — for money
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com