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

Word bank: snap · bass · calf · wave · temple · capital · saw · bay

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. capital — money
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bass — the fish
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bass — low music
  23. temple — side of the head
  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