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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.

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: capital · rush · pit · bore · branch · safe · clip · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. branch — a division
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. clip — a video
  13. bore — to drill
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. clip — for paper
  17. capital — a city
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. capital — money
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. pit — in a race
  24. clip — to cut

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