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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: lash · court · chair · pound · toast · nail · branch · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. court — of law
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. branch — a division
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. toast — bread
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pound — a weight
  14. chair — a leader
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. court — for sport
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. court — of a king
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. branch — of a tree

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