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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 120 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
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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: game · mine · cabinet · rash · lash · current · coach · suit

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. game — a match
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rash — a series
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. suit — in cards
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. current — happening now
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rash — hasty
  20. suit — to fit
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rash — on the skin

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