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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.

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: hide · fine · bat · mine · capital · mark · foot · safe

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. mine — for digging
  8. foot — a measure
  9. capital — money
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. capital — a city
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fine — all right
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. mark — a trace
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bat — the animal

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