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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. toast — bread
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. capital — a city
  8. fall — the season
  9. capital — money
  10. fall — to drop
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cell — in biology
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. perch — the fish
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. fall — to drop
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. cell — a phone
  24. capital — a big letter

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