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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: arm · dip · sharp · spring · safe · present · capital · charge

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. capital — money
  4. present — the time now
  5. charge — electricity
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. charge — a price
  8. sharp — clever
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. capital — a city
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. present — there
  17. spring — of water
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. spring — the season
  20. dip — to sink
  21. present — a gift
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. charge — in control
  24. dip — a sauce

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