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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. capital — money
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stand — to bear
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. band — a music group
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. band — a ring
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. capital — a city
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. deal — to handle
  24. band — a rubber band

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