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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
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: capital · mouse · shower · rush · patient · toast · arm · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. capital — a city
  6. cap — a hat
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. toast — bread
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. capital — money
  12. shower — rain
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. cap — of ice
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rush — hurry

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