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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mug — to rob
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. capital — money
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. deal — to handle
  8. capital — a city
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mug — a face
  12. wound — an injury
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mate — to breed
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mug — a cup

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