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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wind — moving air
  4. track — a song
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. track — to keep track
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. track — a path
  16. deal — to handle
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mate — a friend
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. capital — a city
  22. lie — to recline
  23. mate — a partner
  24. capital — money

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