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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: patient · charge · spring · bass · capital · mouse · stick · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. capital — a city
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spring — the season
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. charge — electricity
  13. capital — money
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. spring — a coil
  17. charge — in control
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bass — low music
  21. charge — a price
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spring — of water

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