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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. object — an aim
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cap — a lid
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. drill — army training
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. cap — of ice
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. snap — to click
  11. drill — a practice
  12. object — a thing
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cap — a hat
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. drill — the tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. object — to protest

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