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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.

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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: calf · spring · wind · season · mate · cap · capital · patient

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. mate — a friend
  6. spring — of water
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cap — of ice
  11. mate — to breed
  12. capital — money
  13. cap — a lid
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wind — moving air
  16. season — in sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. spring — a coil
  19. mate — a partner
  20. spring — the season
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cap — a hat

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