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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: mouse · cold · lash · patient · coach · capital · bass · bore

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bore — to drill
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cold — not warm
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. bass — low music
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cold — an illness
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. capital — a city

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