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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: field · lash · mate · rush · coach · chip

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rush — hurry
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. chip — to eat
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. chip — for betting
  8. field — farmland
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. field — a subject
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mate — a partner
  17. field — for sport
  18. mate — a friend

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