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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: land · lean · game · pound · object · tube · patient · mate

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. game — wild animals
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pound — a weight
  5. game — a match
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. lean — thin
  9. mate — to breed
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. object — to protest
  12. mate — a partner
  13. land — a country
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. object — an aim
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. land — ground
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. land — to come down
  22. mate — a friend
  23. object — a thing
  24. patient — a sick person

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