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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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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 · prune · snap · foot · temple · tear · lash · race

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. race — the arms race
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. snap — to click
  10. tear — from crying
  11. race — humankind
  12. foot — a measure
  13. tear — to rip
  14. race — a contest
  15. tear — from crying
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. prune — to trim
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. temple — a place of worship

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