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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: lash · row · object · capital · spring · coach · bound · stand

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. capital — money
  3. object — a thing
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bound — obliged
  7. spring — of water
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. row — to paddle
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. object — to protest
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. spring — a coil
  15. object — an aim
  16. bound — certain
  17. row — a line
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. spring — the season
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. capital — a city
  24. bound — tied together

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