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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: spell · ruler · mine · capital · lean · safe · band · toast

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. capital — money
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — a city
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. spell — a short time
  11. band — a music group
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. band — a ring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. toast — bread
  18. lean — thin
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mine — for digging
  22. spell — letters
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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