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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: capital · wind · patient · stick · leaves · perch · can · stem

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. capital — money
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. perch — the fish
  13. capital — a city
  14. stem — to come from
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wind — moving air
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. leaves — to go away

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