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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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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: kid · bound · safe · capital · bay · drill · land · coach

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. drill — a practice
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. kid — to tease
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bound — obliged
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. land — to come down
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. land — ground
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. capital — money
  15. bound — certain
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. land — a country
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. drill — army training
  21. kid — child
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bound — tied together

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