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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · hand · bear · drill · lash · chip · swing · face

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bear — the animal
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. face — to point toward
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bear — the animal
  11. swing — in golf
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. face — to confront
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. drill — the tool
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. chip — for betting
  21. drill — army training
  22. face — part of the head
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. 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