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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: last · track · stock · lie · bore · patient · bound · plane

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bound — tied together
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. last — finally
  6. track — to keep track
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. last — to go on
  9. bore — to drill
  10. last — final
  11. stock — goods
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bound — obliged
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. track — a path
  17. plane — a tool
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stock — shares
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bound — certain
  24. lie — an untruth

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