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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. staff — employees
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. capital — a city
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. kid — to tease
  9. capital — money
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chip — for betting
  12. staff — employees
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. staff — a stick
  17. wound — an injury
  18. kid — child
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. chip — to eat
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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