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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: capital · stem · row · lash · fine · hide · net · patient

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. row — to paddle
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. capital — a city
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. stem — to come from
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. capital — money
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. row — a line
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. net — for catching

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