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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: capital · cue · wind · press · coach · cabinet · craft · calf

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. press — to push
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wind — moving air
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cue — a hint
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wind — moving air
  14. press — newspapers
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. capital — a city
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. capital — money

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