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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.

Make a worksheet

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: last · bark · lash · coach · wound · dip · pitch · lean

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. last — final
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pitch — completely
  7. lean — thin
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. last — to go on
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bark — to shout
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. last — finally
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. lean — to bend
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. coach — a trainer

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