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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. capital — money
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. fine — all right
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. sharp — clever
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bank — for money
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bank — for money
  17. shower — to wash
  18. fine — high quality
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. shower — rain
  21. capital — a city
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. capital — a big letter

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