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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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Word bank
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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. 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. capital — money
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. can — a tin
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. can — a tin
  6. ground — crushed
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. capital — a city
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. ground — a position
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. ground — the earth
  18. can — to be able to
  19. perch — the fish
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wound — an injury
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. rush — hurry
  24. 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