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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: nail · last · rash · ball · game · firm · patient · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. game — wild animals
  4. last — final
  5. rash — a series
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. ball — a great time
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. firm — decided
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rash — hasty
  15. game — a match
  16. last — to go on
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ball — a dance
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. last — finally
  24. wind — moving air

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