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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: wake · date · coach · hide · suit · trunk · capital · jam

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. suit — clothes
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wake — a trail
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. date — the fruit
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. capital — a city
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. capital — money

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