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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rest · object · toast · coach · straw · sharp · fan · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. sharp — clever
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. rest — a break
  10. toast — bread
  11. rest — what's left
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. rest — what's left
  20. object — a thing
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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