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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 120 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rock — a stone
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. capital — money
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mug — a cup
  8. craft — a skill
  9. mug — a face
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. craft — boats
  13. kid — to tease
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. capital — a city
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rock — music
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. mug — to rob
  24. rock — to move gently

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