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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 120 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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 — money
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bulb — for light
  8. game — a match
  9. craft — boats
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. snap — to click
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. game — wild animals
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. craft — a skill
  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