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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 120 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
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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: coach · chair · game · lash · last · kid · capital · press

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. kid — child
  6. game — a match
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. chair — a leader
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. kid — to tease
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. capital — a city
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — finally
  19. capital — money
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. press — a publisher
  23. last — final
  24. lash — an eyelash

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