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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.

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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: cap · coach · wound · jam · lash · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. cap — a hat
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — a measure
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. cap — of ice
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wound — an injury
  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