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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.

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: swing · chip · can · trunk · stem · drill · capital · face

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. stem — to come from
  3. drill — the tool
  4. swing — in golf
  5. chip — to eat
  6. swing — to play on
  7. chip — for betting
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. face — part of the head
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. can — to be able to
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. can — a tin
  18. swing — music
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. drill — a practice
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. can — a tin

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