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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. capital — money
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. capital — a city
  16. bank — for money
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bank — for money
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. squash — the sport
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — for digging
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wave — with your hand

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