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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.

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: hand · capital · kick · bore · bear · stock · wave · safe

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bear — the animal
  5. hand — in cards
  6. kick — in football
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. hand — help
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. capital — a city
  16. bore — to drill
  17. stock — goods
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. safe — a strongbox

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