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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mouse · cap · swing · capital · saw · patient · spell · charge

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cap — of ice
  6. charge — a price
  7. capital — a city
  8. saw — the tool
  9. swing — music
  10. capital — money
  11. saw — the tool
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. charge — in control
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. swing — in golf
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cap — a lid
  18. spell — letters
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. charge — electricity
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cap — a hat

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