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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: wound · foot · capital · lash · press · stem · coach · branch

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stem — to come from
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. foot — a measure
  13. capital — a city
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. press — to push
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. press — a publisher
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. press — newspapers
  24. wound — an injury

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