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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.

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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: lash · stick · rock · cabinet · rule · patient · capital · pitcher

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. capital — a city
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rule — a law
  8. capital — money
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rock — music
  24. rule — government

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