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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rock — music
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. board — to get on
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. capital — money
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rock — a stone
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. capital — a city
  16. squash — the sport
  17. snap — to click
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. board — a committee
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. foot — a measure

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