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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: leaves · safe · capital · snap · current · wake · kid · coach

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. kid — child
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. snap — to click
  9. current — happening now
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. capital — a city
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. current — electric
  23. kid — to tease
  24. wake — before a funeral

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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