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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 120 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
468
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: fan · cap · bound · court · straw · capital · lash · mate

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. cap — a hat
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. court — of law
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bound — obliged
  8. capital — a city
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cap — a lid
  11. court — for sport
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bound — certain
  24. court — of a king

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