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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · object · toast · tear · track · ball · land · leaves

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. track — a path
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. tear — from crying
  7. toast — bread
  8. tear — from crying
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ball — a dance
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. land — ground
  15. track — a song
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. land — a country
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. track — to keep track
  23. object — a thing
  24. tear — to rip

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