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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: cell · calf · suit · wave · capital · swing · wax · pitcher

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. wax — to grow
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cell — a phone
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. suit — to fit
  17. swing — music
  18. capital — a city
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. suit — in cards
  21. capital — money
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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