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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.

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: trunk · suit · squash · bear · spell · craft · kick · capital

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. craft — a skill
  3. capital — a city
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. craft — boats
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. squash — the sport
  10. spell — a short time
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kick — in football
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bear — the animal
  20. capital — money
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. suit — in cards
  24. trunk — 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