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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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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 · cabinet · bear · fine · coach · capital · can · saw

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. capital — money
  4. can — to be able to
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bear — the animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. capital — a city
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bear — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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