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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: pass · squash · capital · shower · trunk · tube · deal · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. tube — a container
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. shower — to wash
  7. squash — to crush
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. shower — rain
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. tube — the underground
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. fall — the season
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pass — a permit
  19. squash — the sport
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. fall — to drop

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