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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.

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: band · safe · capital · nail · bay · clip · season · mouse

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. band — a ring
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. capital — money
  6. band — a music group
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. capital — a city
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — a video
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. clip — to cut
  24. season — of the year

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