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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: stand · safe · lie · capital · cap · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. cap — of ice
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stand — to bear
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bear — the animal
  15. capital — money
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cap — a lid
  18. capital — a city

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