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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: object · patient · straw · snap · dip · net · calf · capital

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. object — a thing
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. capital — money
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. net — in sport
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. capital — a city
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — to protest
  23. dip — to sink
  24. snap — to click

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