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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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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: club · suit · fall · can · temple · capital · trunk · snap

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. capital — money
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. club — for golf
  10. fall — the season
  11. capital — a city
  12. can — to be able to
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. suit — in cards
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fall — to drop
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. fall — to drop

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