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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 120 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: wax · stick · patient · snap · capital · suit · calf · cabinet

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. capital — a city
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. capital — money
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wax — to grow
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. suit — in cards

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