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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: suit · capital · kick · wound · present · trunk · temple · hide

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. suit — in cards
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wound — an injury
  12. capital — a city
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. present — there
  15. kick — in football
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. present — the time now
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. capital — money
  21. suit — clothes
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. present — a gift

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