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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: safe · row · hand · object · capital · current · last · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. row — to paddle
  3. object — to protest
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. last — finally
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. current — of water
  8. last — to go on
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hand — help
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. hand — in cards
  14. object — an aim
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. capital — a city
  17. current — electric
  18. row — a line
  19. capital — money
  20. current — happening now
  21. object — a thing
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. last — final
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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