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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: lash · coach · march · capital · bulb · object · sharp · key

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. march — the month
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. key — the most important part
  10. capital — money
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. key — for a lock
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. object — a thing
  18. bulb — for light
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. capital — a city
  22. object — an aim
  23. key — in music
  24. bulb — for light

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