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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. dip — to sink
  11. season — in sport
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a city
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. rush — hurry
  21. season — of the year
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rush — a thrill

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