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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: ground · wake · firm · rest · rock · mate · last · patient

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. mate — a friend
  3. firm — decided
  4. rest — a break
  5. last — to go on
  6. mate — a partner
  7. wake — a trail
  8. ground — the earth
  9. firm — a company
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rock — music
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rest — what's left
  18. firm — steady
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mate — to breed
  23. last — final
  24. last — finally

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