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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: can · nail · face · rest · patient · pound · capital · mate

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rest — a break
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. pound — a weight
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rest — what's left
  15. face — to point toward
  16. capital — a city
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. face — to confront
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. face — part of the head
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. can — a tin

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