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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.

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: rash · bulb · coach · capital · patient · press · lash · wax

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. 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. lash — a whip stroke
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wax — to grow
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rash — a series
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rash — hasty
  12. press — a publisher
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. capital — a city
  16. press — to push
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. capital — money
  21. press — newspapers
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. 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