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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.

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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: rock · trunk · wave · pitch · hide · capital · plane · shower

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. capital — money
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. shower — rain
  5. pitch — completely
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. capital — a city
  13. rock — a stone
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. plane — a tool

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