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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. cold — an illness
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. object — an aim
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mug — a cup
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mug — to rob
  15. capital — a city
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. object — a thing
  18. capital — money
  19. object — to protest
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. mug — a face
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. cold — not warm

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