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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: deal · lash · rash · scale · rest · stand · capital · patient

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rest — a break
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — money
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stand — to bear
  18. scale — in music
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. capital — a city
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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