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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · net · arm · plane · root · stick · capital · leaves

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — money
  3. net — after costs
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. root — of a word
  8. plane — a tool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. root — the cause
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. net — in sport
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. root — of a plant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. net — for catching

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