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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: stick · foot · net · wake · coach · swing · lash · row

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wake — a trail
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. net — for catching
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. row — to paddle
  7. net — after costs
  8. swing — music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. net — in sport
  13. row — a line
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. swing — in golf
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. foot — a measure
  23. swing — to play on
  24. foot — the bottom

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