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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: saw · temple · capital · nail · safe · root · pit · wind

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. capital — money
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. root — of a word
  12. saw — the tool
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pit — in a race
  15. root — of a plant
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. root — the cause
  19. pit — a hole
  20. capital — a city
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wind — moving air
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. nail — on a finger

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