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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: clip · safe · ground · snap · charge · calf · file · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. file — a document
  3. charge — in control
  4. ground — crushed
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. ground — the earth
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. snap — to click
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. clip — a video
  12. file — a tool
  13. charge — a price
  14. clip — to cut
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. file — a line of people
  17. ground — a position
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. clip — for paper
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. charge — electricity
  24. 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