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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: lash · deal · field · lean · capital · toast · patient · nail

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. field — a subject
  10. capital — a city
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. field — for sport
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. field — farmland
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. lean — thin
  23. deal — to handle
  24. capital — money

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