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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: foot · tube · spell · lash · last · key · coach · face

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. last — final
  3. spell — a short time
  4. tube — a container
  5. last — finally
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. spell — magic
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. foot — a measure
  11. last — to go on
  12. spell — letters
  13. tube — the underground
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. face — to confront
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. face — to point toward
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. face — part of the head
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  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