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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 116 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bank — for money
  4. tear — from crying
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bank — for money
  15. tear — to rip
  16. capital — a city
  17. race — humankind
  18. tear — from crying
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bear — the animal
  21. race — a contest
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bear — the animal
  24. capital — money

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