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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.

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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. swing — music
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. capital — a city
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. swing — in golf
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bank — for money
  24. trunk — of a car

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