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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. present — a gift
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. bulb — for light
  6. present — the time now
  7. staff — employees
  8. present — there
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. clip — a video
  12. staff — employees
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. clip — for paper
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. staff — a stick
  22. clip — to cut
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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