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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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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: capital · arm · rush · bank · firm · roll · lean · coach

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lean — thin
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. roll — a list
  7. bank — of a river
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rush — hurry
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. capital — money
  14. lean — to bend
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bank — for money
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bank — for money
  22. roll — a cake
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. capital — a city

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