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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: coach · chair · lie · band · capital · calf · deal · safe

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. lie — to recline
  7. band — a music group
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. capital — a city
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chair — a leader
  16. deal — to handle
  17. capital — money
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. band — a ring
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. calf — a young animal

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