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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. ground — a position
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hand — in cards
  8. ball — a great time
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. ball — a dance
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. can — a tin
  13. capital — money
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. hand — help
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. can — to be able to
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. capital — a city
  24. ground — the earth

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