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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 116 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: patient · capital · root · deal · calf · firm · wave · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. root — of a word
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. firm — decided
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. firm — steady
  10. root — the cause
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. capital — a city
  14. deal — to handle
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. firm — a company
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. capital — money
  22. root — of a plant
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. patient — a sick person

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