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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · spell · cabinet · patient · suit · mark · straw · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. spell — magic
  7. capital — a city
  8. mark — a grade
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. spell — letters
  11. suit — in cards
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. capital — money
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. suit — clothes
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mark — a trace

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