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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: capital · cue · season · wax · snap · object · stand · calf

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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. snap — to click
  2. season — in sport
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. season — of the year
  10. capital — a city
  11. wax — to grow
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. capital — money
  14. object — a thing
  15. cue — a hint
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cue — a signal
  19. stand — to bear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. object — an aim
  22. cue — for pool
  23. object — to protest
  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