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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 116 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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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: wind · bowl · perch · patient · last · file · mate · rock

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mate — to breed
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mate — a partner
  11. file — a line of people
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. file — a document
  16. last — to go on
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. file — a tool
  20. last — finally
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rock — music
  23. mate — a friend
  24. last — final

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