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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.

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: patient · game · mark · squash · wake · cell · lash · track

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. track — to keep track
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. game — wild animals
  6. squash — the sport
  7. game — a match
  8. cell — a phone
  9. wake — a trail
  10. track — a song
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. cell — in biology
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. track — a path
  23. patient — a sick person
  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