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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · bay · trunk · capital · fan · squash · nail · leaves

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. present — there
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. capital — a city
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. present — a gift
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. present — the time now
  18. capital — money
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. leaves — of a tree

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