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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 120 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: rock · dip · patient · track · coach · game · mate · lie

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mate — a friend
  12. rock — music
  13. lie — to recline
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. track — a song
  17. mate — to breed
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mate — a partner
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rock — a stone
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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