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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 · rush · mug · patient · wind · land · lie · present

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. track — a song
  2. wind — moving air
  3. track — a path
  4. land — ground
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. land — a country
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wind — moving air
  9. present — there
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mug — a cup
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — to rob
  20. land — to come down
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rush — to hurry
  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