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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: lash · press · cold · spell · coach · bay · scale · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. spell — letters
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cold — not warm
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bear — the animal
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. cold — an illness
  14. spell — magic
  15. press — to push
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. press — a publisher
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. spell — a short time
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. scale — in music

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