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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: saw · season · capital · coach · wake · present · ruler · safe

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wake — a trail
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. present — the time now
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. season — in sport
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. season — of the year
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. capital — a city
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. saw — the tool
  23. capital — money
  24. present — there

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