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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 120 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 · wind · wave · current · patient · degree · pound · rush

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fine — all right
  3. degree — temperature
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. current — of water
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. current — happening now
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pound — a weight
  22. current — electric
  23. degree — an amount
  24. fine — high quality

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