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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: charge · bore · trunk · cap · nail · capital · board · lie

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. lie — to recline
  5. board — a committee
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. board — to get on
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bore — to drill
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — electricity
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bore — to tire
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. capital — money
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. capital — a city
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cap — of ice
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. nail — on a finger

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