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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: press · calf · capital · plane · bore · patient · rash · deal

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. capital — money
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. capital — a city
  8. press — to push
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bore — to tire
  14. deal — to handle
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bore — to drill
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rash — hasty
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. press — newspapers
  24. deal — an agreement

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