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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: bear · coach · hand · wave · ball · leaves · lash · capital

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hand — in cards
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bear — the animal
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. capital — money
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. capital — a city
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hand — help
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. ball — a great time

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