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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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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: rash · snap · safe · fine · kid · capital · chair · mate

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. mate — a partner
  5. capital — a city
  6. mate — a friend
  7. capital — money
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. kid — to tease
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kid — child
  16. mate — to breed
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. snap — to click
  19. chair — a leader
  20. fine — all right
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. capital — a big letter

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