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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: saw · leaves · safe · temple · capital · dip · bore · track

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. leaves — to go away
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. saw — the tool
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — money
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. saw — the tool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. dip — to sink
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. track — a song
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. track — a path
  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