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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: sharp · rest · spring · tube · capital · safe · perch · face

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. face — part of the head
  5. capital — money
  6. perch — the fish
  7. spring — a coil
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rest — what's left
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. tube — a container
  17. face — to confront
  18. capital — a city
  19. sharp — clever
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. spring — of water
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. spring — the season

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