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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 124 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: safe · tear · capital · fine · cap · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. fine — all right
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bear — the animal
  5. capital — a city
  6. fine — high quality
  7. capital — money
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cap — a hat
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cap — a lid
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cap — of ice
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bear — the animal
  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