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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: ruler · saw · wound · capital · patient · straw · firm · march

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. capital — a city
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. march — music
  7. firm — a company
  8. march — the month
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. march — the month
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. saw — the tool
  14. firm — steady
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. capital — money
  22. firm — decided
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. saw — the tool

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