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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: drill · capital · hide · trunk · deal · can · foot · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. drill — army training
  8. capital — a city
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. deal — to handle
  13. can — a tin
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. capital — money
  21. foot — a measure
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. can — a tin

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