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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 120 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
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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: spell · bear · capital · file · bore · hide · sharp · safe

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spell — magic
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bore — to tire
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bear — the animal
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. file — a tool
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. capital — money
  15. bore — to drill
  16. sharp — clever
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. capital — a city
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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