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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 124 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: capital · racket · wind · key · root · rash · lie · patient

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. root — of a word
  3. capital — a city
  4. wind — moving air
  5. root — the cause
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. key — in music
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. key — the most important part
  13. rash — a series
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wind — moving air
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. root — of a plant
  24. capital — money

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