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

Word bank: bank · coach · row · hand · lash · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. hand — in cards
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bank — for money
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bank — of a river
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bank — for money
  16. hand — help
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. coach — a trainer

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