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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.

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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: capital · bore · game · root · patient · firm · wave · fall

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. fall — to drop
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. root — the cause
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. firm — steady
  11. bore — to drill
  12. fall — to drop
  13. game — wild animals
  14. capital — money
  15. fall — the season
  16. firm — decided
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. capital — a city
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bore — to tire
  24. firm — a company

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