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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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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. mark — a grade
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. saw — the tool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pass — a permit
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. capital — money
  11. mark — a trace
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. saw — the tool
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stand — to bear
  24. patient — a sick person

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