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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.

Make a worksheet

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: safe · dip · capital · bound · bowl · lie · perch · wax

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bound — certain
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. capital — money
  7. bound — obliged
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. dip — to sink
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bound — tied together
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. perch — the fish
  24. safe — a strongbox

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