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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: trunk · capital · deal · wake · mug · staff · can · tear

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. capital — a city
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. capital — money
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. staff — employees
  7. can — a tin
  8. staff — a stick
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. mug — a cup
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. tear — to rip
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. staff — employees
  22. can — a tin
  23. tear — from crying
  24. trunk — of a car

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