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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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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: rule · safe · face · cell · cap · capital

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cell — a phone
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — money
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. rule — government
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. capital — a city
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rule — a law
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cap — of ice
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. face — to point toward

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