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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
468
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: row · trunk · chair · lash · capital · cap · bass · current

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bass — low music
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. row — a line
  6. cap — a hat
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. chair — a leader
  9. cap — a lid
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. row — to paddle
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. current — electric
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bass — the fish
  22. capital — money
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. lash — to lash out

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