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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.

Make a worksheet

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: land · patient · rock · wind · last · safe · degree · rush

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. degree — an amount
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rock — music
  12. land — ground
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — from a university
  15. land — to come down
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. land — a country
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — final
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. last — finally
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. safe — a strongbox

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