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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 116 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: capital · trunk · rash · kick · safe · bulb · wind · chair

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. chair — a leader
  6. rash — hasty
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. kick — in football
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wind — moving air
  11. capital — money
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wind — moving air
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rash — a series
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. safe — out of danger

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