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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.

Make a worksheet

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: patient · capital · kick · wave · bass · present

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. capital — a city
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. present — a gift
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. present — the time now
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. kick — in football
  13. present — there
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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