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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cap · safe · sharp · rush · capital · row · object · bound

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bound — certain
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cap — of ice
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cap — a lid
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rush — hurry
  11. capital — a city
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bound — obliged
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a line
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bound — tied together
  19. object — an aim
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. object — a thing
  22. cap — a hat
  23. object — to protest
  24. capital — money

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