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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: last · firm · chest · capital · dip · fan · safe · pitcher

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. dip — to sink
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. chest — of your body
  8. capital — money
  9. chest — of your body
  10. last — finally
  11. firm — steady
  12. capital — a city
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. firm — decided
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. chest — a box
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. firm — a company
  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