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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.

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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: firm · board · bank · wave · leaves · capital · hand · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. capital — money
  3. firm — a company
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. firm — decided
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. hand — in cards
  15. board — a committee
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. capital — a city
  18. bank — of a river
  19. firm — steady
  20. bank — for money
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bank — for money
  24. hand — help

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