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

Word bank: bay · wind · straw · mouse · coach · kick · capital · bank

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. capital — a city
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wind — moving air
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bank — for money
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. kick — in football
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bank — for money
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. capital — money
  24. bay — a horse colour

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