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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.

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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 · foot · chair · capital · rule · roll · rock · wind

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. rock — music
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rule — government
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. capital — a city
  15. foot — a measure
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. roll — a list
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. roll — a cake
  21. rule — a law
  22. capital — money
  23. chair — a leader
  24. wind — moving air

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