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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: arm · field · stand · lie · bound · patient · root · track

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bound — obliged
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. field — farmland
  14. stand — to bear
  15. root — the cause
  16. track — to keep track
  17. root — of a plant
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. lie — to recline

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