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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. perch — the fish
  6. capital — a city
  7. cap — a lid
  8. firm — decided
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. craft — boats
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. capital — money
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. firm — a company
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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