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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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Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. sharp — clever
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — the season
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. dip — to sink
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. capital — money
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spring — a coil
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. capital — a city
  24. dip — a sauce

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