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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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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: trunk · object · pound · bear · hide · capital · nail · race

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pound — a weight
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. capital — money
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. object — a thing
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. object — an aim
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. capital — a city
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. race — a contest
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. capital — a big letter

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