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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: board · calf · capital · wax · patient · swing · fine · snap

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. swing — to play on
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. fine — high quality
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. swing — in golf
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. board — to get on
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. board — a committee
  13. fine — all right
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. capital — a city
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. snap — to click
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wax — to grow
  20. swing — music
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. fine — a penalty

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