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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
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: squash · track · safe · capital · face · mate · leaves · calf

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. capital — a city
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mate — a friend
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mate — a partner
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. track — a song
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. track — to keep track
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. capital — money
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. face — to point toward
  20. track — a path
  21. squash — the sport
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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