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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
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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: trunk · can · dip · rest · arm · content · tube · capital

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rest — what's left
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. tube — a container
  6. can — a tin
  7. content — happy
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. content — the amount
  10. can — a tin
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. capital — money
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. tube — the underground
  18. capital — a city
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rest — a break
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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