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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wound — an injury
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mark — a grade
  7. dip — to sink
  8. race — a contest
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. capital — money
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mark — a trace
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. fall — to drop
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. race — the arms race
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. stand — to bear
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fall — the season
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. fall — to drop
  24. race — humankind

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