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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — money
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. cap — a hat
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — a phone
  15. capital — a city
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cap — of ice
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wind — moving air

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