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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.

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: leaves · capital · clip · safe · sharp · pitcher · current · wake

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. clip — a video
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. capital — a city
  8. current — electric
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. capital — money
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. current — of water
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. current — happening now
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. sharp — clever

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