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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: patient · cabinet · mine · can · wake · perch · mate · track

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. can — to be able to
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. track — a song
  7. wake — a trail
  8. track — a path
  9. mate — to breed
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. can — a tin
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mine — for digging
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. can — a tin
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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