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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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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: lash · capital · wave · ruler · club · wound · patient · press

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. club — for dancing
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. club — a group
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — money
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. capital — a city
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. press — to push
  20. press — newspapers
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. club — for golf
  23. wound — an injury
  24. patient — a sick person

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