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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: wind · coach · pitcher · leaves · capital · lash

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. capital — money
  3. wind — moving air
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wind — moving air
  9. capital — a city
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. coach — a trainer

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