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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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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 · capital · safe · wind · suit · chip · kick · wake

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wake — a trail
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chip — for betting
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wind — moving air
  15. kick — in football
  16. suit — in cards
  17. capital — a city
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. capital — money
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wind — moving air
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. suit — to fit
  24. chip — to eat

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