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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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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: hide · safe · straw · cabinet · ground · sharp · capital · hand

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hand — help
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. capital — a city
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ground — a position
  8. hand — in cards
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. sharp — clever
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. ground — crushed
  24. hide — to keep secret

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