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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: safe · capital · kick · bowl · mine · trunk · lean · present

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. present — the time now
  3. capital — a city
  4. mine — for digging
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. lean — to bend
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. capital — money
  19. present — there
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. lean — thin
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. present — a gift
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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