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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 120 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: charge · safe · drill · capital · bear · pit · wave · cell

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. charge — in control
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. cell — a phone
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. charge — electricity
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. pit — in a race
  15. capital — a city
  16. pit — a hole
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. bear — the animal
  21. capital — money
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. charge — a price

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