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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 116 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: stick · coach · swing · lash · content · rule · object · can

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. swing — in golf
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. can — a tin
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. swing — music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. content — the amount
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. content — happy
  22. object — to protest
  23. swing — to play on
  24. can — a tin

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