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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: fan · foot · date · rush · cabinet · calf · trunk · capital

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rush — hurry
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. capital — money
  15. date — the fruit
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. capital — a city
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. foot — a measure
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. date — on the calendar

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