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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: tear · perch · fine · chair · rock · capital · rush · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. capital — a city
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. fine — high quality
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. chair — a leader
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rock — music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. tear — from crying
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. tear — to rip
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. tear — from crying
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. capital — money

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