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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · lash · race · coach · pitcher · cabinet · roll · chip

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. lean — thin
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lean — to bend
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — a cake
  12. race — a contest
  13. chip — to eat
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. race — humankind
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chip — for betting

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