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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: track · spring · lie · safe · perch · bowl · content · capital

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. capital — money
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. capital — a city
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. track — to keep track
  8. spring — of water
  9. track — a path
  10. content — the amount
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. spring — the season
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. track — a song
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. content — happy
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spring — a coil

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