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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wake · lash · lean · mouse · safe · chair · coach · mate

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mate — a partner
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mate — a friend
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. chair — a leader
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lean — thin
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. coach — a trainer

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