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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: charge · track · tear · trunk · lie · bore · perch · capital

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. capital — a city
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. perch — the fish
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bore — to tire
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. track — a path
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. lie — to recline
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. track — a song
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bore — to drill
  22. charge — electricity
  23. capital — money
  24. tear — from crying

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