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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. band — a ring
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. capital — a city
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. tube — the underground
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. capital — money
  17. rock — music
  18. chair — a leader
  19. band — a music group
  20. tube — a container
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. trunk — of a tree

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