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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: patient · present · track · can · lie · prune · ground · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. can — to be able to
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. track — a path
  6. can — a tin
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. track — to keep track
  10. ground — the earth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cell — in biology
  13. track — a song
  14. ground — crushed
  15. can — a tin
  16. present — a gift
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. prune — to trim
  21. present — there
  22. ground — a position
  23. present — the time now
  24. cell — a phone

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