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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a city
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. shower — rain
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pass — a permit
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. spell — magic
  14. shower — to wash
  15. spell — letters
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. shower — a meteor shower

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