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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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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: mug · wound · coach · cell · mark · lash · fall · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mark — a grade
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mug — a cup
  16. cell — a phone
  17. fall — the season
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fall — to drop
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mug — a face
  24. suit — to fit

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