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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.

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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: vault · firm · key · wake · wax · cell · craft · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. craft — boats
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — decided
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. cell — in biology
  11. craft — a skill
  12. firm — a company
  13. capital — a city
  14. key — the most important part
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — a phone
  20. vault — a safe
  21. capital — money
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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