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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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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: lash · club · coach · hand · roll · saw · stand · rush

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stand — to bear
  5. hand — in cards
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. club — for dancing
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. club — for golf
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rush — hurry
  18. roll — a cake
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. roll — a list
  21. club — a group
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. hand — help
  24. coach — a trainer

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