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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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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: wind · file · coach · pit · wake · bear · capital · suit

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. capital — money
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pit — a hole
  10. capital — a city
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. file — a document
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. file — a tool
  20. wind — moving air
  21. file — a line of people
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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