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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 · cue · row · object · mark · lean · patient · cell

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. object — an aim
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. object — a thing
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. capital — a city
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cell — in biology
  17. object — to protest
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cell — a phone
  20. lean — thin
  21. row — a line
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. capital — money
  24. mark — to pay attention

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