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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.

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: club · lean · patient · straw · rash · capital · ball · craft

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ball — a dance
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. rash — a series
  5. capital — a city
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. craft — boats
  9. club — a group
  10. capital — money
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. lean — thin
  13. club — for dancing
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. club — for golf
  17. craft — a skill
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rash — hasty
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. straw — dry grass

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