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

Word bank: wound · lash · safe · rest · cap · capital

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cap — a hat
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. cap — a lid
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. capital — a city
  14. wound — an injury
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  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