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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
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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: swing · coach · sharp · hide · current · perch · lash · mug

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. current — happening now
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mug — a face
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. sharp — clever
  12. perch — the fish
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. current — of water
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mug — to rob
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mug — a cup
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. current — electric
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. sharp — exactly

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