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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: fan · toast · trunk · cue · date · can

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. toast — bread
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. date — the fruit
  9. can — a tin
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. can — a tin
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cue — for pool
  17. can — to be able to
  18. trunk — of a car

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