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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: present · mouse · season · rash · capital · branch · patient · calf

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. present — a gift
  3. capital — a city
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. rash — a series
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rash — hasty
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. capital — money
  14. season — in sport
  15. branch — a division
  16. present — there
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. season — of the year
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. present — the time now
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. branch — of a tree

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