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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: vault · track · wake · coach · lash · patient · bear · capital

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. capital — money
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. track — a song
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. capital — a city
  14. track — a path
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wake — a trail
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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