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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — to come down
  3. capital — a city
  4. dip — to sink
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. land — a country
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. can — a tin
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. capital — money
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. safe — out of danger

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