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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. can — to be able to
  4. net — for catching
  5. object — to protest
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — money
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. capital — a city
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. net — after costs
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. can — a tin
  20. net — in sport
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. can — a tin

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