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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: bay · bowl · patient · safe · present · fall · perch · capital

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. present — there
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. present — the time now
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. perch — the fish
  12. fall — to drop
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fall — the season
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. capital — money
  24. present — a gift

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