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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stand — to bear
  5. spell — letters
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. drill — army training
  10. dip — to sink
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. drill — a practice
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. drill — the tool
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. lean — thin
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. spell — a short time
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. spell — magic

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