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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 116 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: snap · wave · capital · calf · root · bay · firm · rash

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. rash — a series
  9. firm — steady
  10. root — the cause
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. firm — a company
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. snap — to click
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. firm — decided
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. root — of a word
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — a city

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