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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · jam · rest · bat · deal · patient · lie · track

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. track — a path
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lie — to recline
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rest — a break
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. track — a song
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. track — to keep track
  24. patient — a sick person

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