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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 · plane · swing · lash · pound · wind · wave · race

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. race — the arms race
  10. plane — a tool
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. race — a contest
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pound — a weight
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. race — humankind
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. plane — an aircraft

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