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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: cue · wax · hand · key · can · capital · hide · patient

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. cue — a hint
  3. capital — a city
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. key — in music
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cue — a signal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. can — a tin
  11. capital — money
  12. can — a tin
  13. key — the most important part
  14. hand — in cards
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. cue — for pool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. can — to be able to
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wax — for sculpting

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