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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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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: rush · face · nail · pass · patient · capital · key · bass

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bass — the fish
  3. key — in music
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. key — the most important part
  9. capital — money
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pass — a permit
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. key — for a lock
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bass — low music
  24. capital — a city

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