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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: mine · fine · rush · patient · staff · last · root · deal

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. root — of a word
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. staff — a stick
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. deal — to handle
  15. last — final
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. last — finally
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. last — to go on

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