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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: rule · last · fan · straw · tube · safe · capital · trunk

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. last — finally
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rule — a law
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. tube — a container
  17. last — to go on
  18. tube — the underground
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. last — final
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — government
  24. capital — money

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