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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. capital — money
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. plane — a tool
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mine — for digging
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. capital — a city
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rush — hurry
  24. nail — for a hammer

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