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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 · capital · sharp · safe · patient · shower · chair · bound

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. spell — magic
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bound — certain
  6. sharp — clever
  7. chair — a leader
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. shower — rain
  16. spell — letters
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. spell — a short time
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bound — tied together
  21. capital — a city
  22. bound — obliged
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. capital — money

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