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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: fine · shower · last · deal · patient · land · rock · wind

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. last — to go on
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. shower — rain
  7. wind — moving air
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rock — a stone
  10. land — a country
  11. shower — to wash
  12. land — ground
  13. deal — to handle
  14. fine — high quality
  15. last — final
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. fine — all right
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rock — music
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. land — to come down

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