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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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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: lash · safe · straw · file · temple · trunk · capital · ball

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. capital — a city
  13. ball — a great time
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ball — a dance
  22. capital — money
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. safe — out of danger

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