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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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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: foot · club · present · rest · bore · capital · hide · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. club — for golf
  3. present — a gift
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. club — a group
  6. rest — a break
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rest — what's left
  15. foot — a measure
  16. capital — a city
  17. present — there
  18. capital — money
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rest — what's left
  21. present — the time now
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. club — for dancing

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