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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: chair · mug · lean · cap · pitcher · capital · arm · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. cap — a hat
  4. chair — a leader
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. lean — thin
  11. mug — to rob
  12. lean — to bend
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mug — a face
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mug — a cup
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. cap — a lid
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — money
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. safe — out of danger

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