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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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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: tube · patient · perch · coach · capital · calf · wave · bay

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. tube — a container
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tube — the underground
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. capital — money
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. capital — a city
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. capital — a big letter

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