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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: straw · capital · lash · pop · degree · coach · bank · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. degree — temperature
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pop — soda
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pop — music
  7. can — a tin
  8. bank — for money
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pop — to visit
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. capital — money
  16. bank — for money
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. degree — from a university
  19. capital — a city
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. can — to be able to
  23. degree — an amount
  24. capital — a big letter

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