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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: wake · lie · coach · wound · capital · key

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. key — for a lock
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wound — an injury
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. capital — money
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. capital — a city
  17. wound — an injury
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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