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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: patient · track · last · lie · charge · fine · pit · hand

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. charge — a price
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. fine — all right
  5. pit — in a race
  6. last — finally
  7. hand — help
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. track — a song
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pit — a hole
  15. charge — in control
  16. last — to go on
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. last — final
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. track — a path
  24. charge — electricity

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