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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
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: toast · date · coach · bound · snap · calf · trunk · fan

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bound — obliged
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bound — certain
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — bread
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bound — tied together
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. date — the fruit

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