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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: safe · capital · last · cabinet · cap · fan · dip · calf

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. capital — a city
  5. last — final
  6. cap — a hat
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cap — a lid
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. last — finally
  21. capital — money
  22. last — to go on
  23. cap — of ice
  24. dip — to sink

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