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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: capital · cold · file · foot · chip · bay · safe · rest

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — a measure
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chip — to eat
  6. capital — money
  7. rest — a break
  8. capital — a city
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. file — a tool
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. file — a line of people
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cold — not warm
  20. file — a document
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. chip — for betting
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. cold — an illness

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