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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. fine — high quality
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bank — for money
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bank — of a river
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. shower — rain
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. capital — money
  15. bank — for money
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. capital — a city

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