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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: toast · stick · capital · hide · trunk · sharp · patient · suit

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. suit — clothes
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. toast — bread
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. suit — to fit
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. suit — in cards
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. sharp — clever
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. hide — to keep secret

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