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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: present · fan · stick · capital · patient · calf · wind · pop

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. present — a gift
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. capital — money
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pop — soda
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. capital — a city
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wind — moving air
  16. present — the time now
  17. pop — music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wind — moving air
  21. present — there
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pop — to visit
  24. calf — a young animal

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