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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: leaves · bay · dip · capital · spell · wound · safe · stock

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. spell — magic
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. capital — a city
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. stock — goods
  9. spell — a short time
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. capital — money
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. spell — letters
  22. stock — shares
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bay — a horse colour

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