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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: capital · hand · wax · bound · cap · key · stand · calf

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. hand — in cards
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bound — tied together
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. capital — money
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bound — obliged
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cap — a hat
  13. key — the most important part
  14. stand — to bear
  15. capital — a city
  16. cap — of ice
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. hand — help
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bound — certain
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. cap — a lid

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