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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: patient · capital · rash · tear · calf · bay

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. tear — to rip
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. capital — a city
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rash — hasty
  18. calf — a young animal

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