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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: game · safe · lie · patient · pound · fan · trunk · track

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. track — a song
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. lie — to recline
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. track — to keep track
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. track — a path
  12. pound — a weight
  13. game — wild animals
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. game — a match
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a tree

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