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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: wind · lash · firm · tear · court · coach

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. tear — to rip
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wind — moving air
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. court — for sport
  11. firm — decided
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. wind — moving air
  15. firm — steady
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wind — to turn a key

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