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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: arm · safe · cold · root · wave · object · fan · capital

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. root — the cause
  3. cold — an illness
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. capital — a city
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. root — of a plant
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. object — an aim
  16. cold — not warm
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. capital — money
  22. root — of a word
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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