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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
468
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: row · patient · rest · straw · ball · fine · mug · capital

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. row — to paddle
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mug — a face
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. capital — money
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rest — a break
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. rest — what's left
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. row — a line
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fine — high quality
  19. capital — a city
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. fine — all right
  24. ball — a dance

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