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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 120 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: wound · capital · drill · patient · firm · suit · shower · wave

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. capital — money
  5. shower — rain
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. firm — a company
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. wound — an injury
  10. drill — army training
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. suit — in cards
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. shower — to wash
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. wound — an injury
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. capital — a city
  24. wave — of the sea

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