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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: calf · fall · craft · capital · fan · toast · present · drill

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. capital — a city
  4. fall — to drop
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. fall — the season
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. present — there
  9. fall — to drop
  10. present — a gift
  11. drill — a practice
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. present — the time now
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. drill — the tool
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. drill — army training

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