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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.

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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 · lean · tube · current · lash · file · cue · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. file — a document
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. capital — money
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. current — happening now
  13. lean — thin
  14. current — of water
  15. file — a line of people
  16. current — electric
  17. tube — a container
  18. cue — for pool
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. capital — a city
  22. tube — the underground
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. file — a tool

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