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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.

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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: capital · safe · charge · bowl · clip · shower · spell · band

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. clip — for paper
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. charge — a price
  6. band — a ring
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. shower — rain
  9. charge — electricity
  10. spell — magic
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. spell — a short time
  13. clip — a video
  14. charge — in control
  15. shower — to wash
  16. capital — a city
  17. spell — letters
  18. band — a music group
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. capital — money
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. clip — to cut

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