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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: mark · rest · track · saw · straw · jam · patient · land

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. land — to come down
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rest — what's left
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. land — a country
  10. rest — a break
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. saw — the tool
  13. track — a song
  14. land — ground
  15. saw — the tool
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. mark — a grade
  18. track — a path
  19. mark — a trace
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. rest — what's left
  24. track — to keep track

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