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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
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: patient · capital · lash · court · clip · coach · suit · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. clip — to cut
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. capital — a city
  11. bank — for money
  12. court — for sport
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bank — of a river
  15. court — of law
  16. suit — in cards
  17. clip — a video
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. clip — for paper
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. capital — money
  22. court — of a king
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lash — to lash out

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