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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. root — the cause
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stock — goods
  12. snap — to click
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. root — of a word
  21. capital — a city
  22. stock — shares
  23. capital — money
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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