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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: dip · stem · fan · coach · key · bore · capital · fall

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. key — in music
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. dip — to sink
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. key — the most important part
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fall — to drop
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. capital — a city
  24. coach — a trainer

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