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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: wax · current · net · capital · ball · wave · calf · snap

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. ball — a dance
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. capital — a city
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. current — of water
  9. net — in sport
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. current — electric
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ball — a great time
  15. net — after costs
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. net — for catching
  18. snap — to click
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. current — happening now

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