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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.

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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: calf · straw · capital · face · spring · mug · rush · patient

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mug — to rob
  4. spring — of water
  5. capital — money
  6. mug — a cup
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. face — to confront
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. face — to point toward
  13. spring — a coil
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rush — hurry
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mug — a face
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. spring — the season
  23. straw — a straw man
  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