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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 120 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. root — the cause
  3. capital — money
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. present — a gift
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. present — there
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. firm — steady
  12. root — of a plant
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. capital — a city
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. firm — a company
  18. present — the time now
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. staff — a stick
  22. root — of a word
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. firm — decided

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