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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: coach · fan · saw · leaves · chip · wave · capital · staff

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. staff — employees
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. staff — a stick
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. staff — employees
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. chip — to eat
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. capital — a city
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. saw — the tool
  24. leaves — to go away

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