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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: perch · safe · leaves · jam · patient · saw · capital · rush

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. saw — the tool
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. capital — a city
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. capital — money
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rush — hurry
  14. perch — the fish
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. saw — the tool
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. patient — a sick person

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