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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. capital — money
  5. press — a publisher
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. charge — in control
  14. press — newspapers
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. press — to push
  17. capital — a city
  18. pit — in a race
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. temple — a place of worship

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