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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.

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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: coach · lean · temple · field · lash · stick · row · perch

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. field — for sport
  4. row — a line
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. perch — the fish
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lean — to bend
  19. field — a subject
  20. row — to paddle
  21. field — farmland
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. temple — side of the head

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