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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 116 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
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: safe · rule · wave · capital · mine · perch · net · spell

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rule — government
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. net — after costs
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. net — for catching
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. capital — money
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. capital — a city
  17. net — in sport
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rule — a law
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rule — to rule out

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