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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. charge — in control
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. saw — the tool
  9. capital — a city
  10. drill — army training
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. root — of a plant
  14. drill — a practice
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. charge — electricity
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. root — the cause
  20. charge — a price
  21. root — of a word
  22. drill — the tool
  23. capital — money
  24. saw — the tool

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