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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bulb — for light
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — a city
  7. clip — for paper
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. clip — a video
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. vault — a safe
  17. lean — thin
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bulb — for light
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lean — to bend

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