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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
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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: safe · season · capital · plane · bound · row · date · kick

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. capital — a city
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. kick — in football
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. plane — a tool
  11. date — the fruit
  12. capital — money
  13. bound — obliged
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. season — of the year
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. row — a line
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. season — in sport
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bound — certain
  24. row — to paddle

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