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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 120 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: pitcher · rash · lean · charge · capital · safe · wound · mate

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rash — hasty
  5. capital — a city
  6. charge — electricity
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. capital — money
  10. charge — a price
  11. lean — to bend
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. charge — in control
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mate — a friend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rash — a series
  21. lean — thin
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pitcher — a jug

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