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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tube · bore · firm · hide · capital · cap · patient · track

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. firm — steady
  5. tube — the underground
  6. track — a path
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. capital — money
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bore — to drill
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cap — of ice
  14. capital — a city
  15. firm — a company
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. track — a song
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bore — to tire
  21. firm — decided
  22. tube — a container
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bore — gave birth

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