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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · safe · current · cell · straw · drill · capital · nail

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cell — a phone
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cell — in biology
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. capital — money
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. current — of water
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. current — happening now
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. current — electric
  23. capital — a city
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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