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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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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: coach · charge · race · mug · tear · lash

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. charge — a price
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mug — a cup
  7. race — a contest
  8. tear — to rip
  9. race — humankind
  10. charge — in control
  11. race — the arms race
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. mug — to rob
  15. charge — electricity
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mug — a face
  18. lash — an eyelash

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