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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: capital · object · foot · chair · file · tube · lash · coach

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. file — a tool
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. file — a line of people
  7. capital — money
  8. tube — the underground
  9. capital — a city
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. chair — a leader
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. object — an aim
  20. tube — a container
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. file — a document
  24. object — a thing

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