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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 116 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: track · mark · land · rush · leaves · patient · can · nail

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. track — to keep track
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. track — a song
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. land — ground
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. can — a tin
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rush — hurry
  17. can — a tin
  18. mark — a grade
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mark — a trace
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. can — to be able to
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. track — a path

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