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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.

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: capital · bore · charge · safe · leaves · rash · rule · wound

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. capital — money
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. rash — a series
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. capital — a city
  12. bore — to tire
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. charge — in control
  19. rule — government
  20. charge — a price
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wound — an injury
  23. charge — electricity
  24. safe — out of danger

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