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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.

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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: tube · trunk · rush · bound · calf · toast · capital · charge

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. capital — a city
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. capital — money
  6. rush — hurry
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. toast — bread
  10. bound — obliged
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. charge — in control
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bound — tied together
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bound — certain
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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