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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: capital · wake · march · safe · lie · hand · plane · wound

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. plane — a tool
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wake — a trail
  7. capital — a city
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. hand — help
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. march — music
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. capital — money
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. march — the month
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. march — the month
  24. hand — part of the body

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