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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: court · safe · lash · fork · cap · cabinet · staff · coach

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cap — a lid
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cap — of ice
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. cap — a hat
  13. staff — a stick
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. staff — employees
  21. fork — in a road
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. court — of law
  24. cabinet — ministers

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