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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 120 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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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 · trunk · wake · wind · kick · foot · capital · branch

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wake — a trail
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  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