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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: drill · safe · capital · sharp · fan · suit · ruler · stand

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. suit — to fit
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. suit — clothes
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. stand — to bear
  12. drill — army training
  13. capital — a city
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. sharp — clever
  17. suit — in cards
  18. drill — the tool
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. capital — money
  24. drill — a practice

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