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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wound · toast · spell · capital · calf · safe · fan · bowl

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. spell — a short time
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. spell — magic
  8. toast — bread
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. capital — a city
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. capital — money
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spell — letters
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wound — an injury

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