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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bank — for money
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. capital — a city
  9. stock — goods
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. stock — shares
  12. mate — a friend
  13. kid — child
  14. mate — a partner
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bank — of a river
  21. capital — money
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bank — for money
  24. kid — to tease

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