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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.

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: can · snap · press · bark · wax · patient · capital · pitcher

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. snap — to click
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. press — newspapers
  5. capital — money
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. press — to push
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. capital — a city
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. can — a tin
  19. press — a publisher
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. wax — in the ear

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