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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.

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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: kick · bore · capital · bark · bay · safe · squash · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — money
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. capital — a city
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. spell — letters
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. spell — magic
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bore — to drill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  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