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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: wound · fan · suit · cap · stick · trunk · firm · present

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. present — the time now
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. suit — to fit
  9. firm — a company
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wound — an injury
  12. firm — steady
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. present — there
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. present — a gift
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wound — an injury
  20. suit — clothes
  21. cap — of ice
  22. firm — decided
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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