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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: chip · coach · temple · stick · board · lash · wake · capital

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. chip — to eat
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. chip — for betting
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. lash — an eyelash

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