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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: land · bear · patient · foot · snap · lie · pit · charge

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. charge — a price
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bear — the animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. land — ground
  12. bear — the animal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. charge — in control
  16. land — a country
  17. charge — electricity
  18. snap — to click
  19. pit — in a race
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pit — a hole
  23. foot — a measure
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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