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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: bound · patient · ball · rash · lie · track · pound · root

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pound — a weight
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. track — a path
  5. root — of a word
  6. bound — obliged
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rash — a series
  10. lie — to recline
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. root — of a plant
  15. track — a song
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bound — certain
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. root — the cause
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ball — a dance

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