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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · nail · trunk · date · cap · capital · wave · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cap — a lid
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cap — a hat
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cell — a phone
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rush — hurry
  16. capital — money
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. capital — a city
  19. date — the fruit
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cap — of ice
  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