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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: season · staff · hide · fork · safe · stand · swing · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. season — of the year
  7. fork — in a road
  8. staff — employees
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. swing — music
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. swing — to play on
  16. season — in sport
  17. staff — employees
  18. capital — a city
  19. stand — to bear
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. swing — in golf
  23. staff — a stick
  24. hide — to keep secret

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