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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 112 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. capital — money
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. capital — a city
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rule — government
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. rule — a law
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. cabinet — ministers

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