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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — letters
  4. bank — for money
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. can — a tin
  9. bore — to drill
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bank — of a river
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. can — a tin
  17. spell — a short time
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. capital — a city
  20. bore — to tire
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bank — for money
  24. trunk — of a tree

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