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

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. capital — a city
  4. deal — to handle
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pass — a permit
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. capital — money
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rest — a break
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. vault — a safe
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. deal — a big deal

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