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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: track · patient · bear · roll · mate · prune · wind · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. track — a path
  3. wind — moving air
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bear — the animal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. roll — a cake
  12. track — a song
  13. mate — a partner
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. roll — a list
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bear — the animal
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. prune — to trim
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mate — to breed

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