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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. sharp — clever
  3. present — there
  4. kid — to tease
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. cue — for pool
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. cue — a signal
  10. present — the time now
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. present — a gift
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. suit — to fit
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. kid — child
  17. plane — a tool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. capital — money
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. capital — a city

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