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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 120 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
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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: rash · chair · capital · last · safe · bore · kick · wound

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. last — to go on
  3. bore — to tire
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. capital — a city
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. rash — a series
  13. last — finally
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rash — hasty
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. last — final
  22. bore — to drill
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chair — a leader

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