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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: wound · temple · capital · staff · degree · safe · key · stand

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. key — for a lock
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. key — in music
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. staff — employees
  10. capital — money
  11. staff — employees
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. key — the most important part
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. degree — from a university
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. staff — a stick
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. capital — a city

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