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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
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: coach · lash · fork · roll · file · stand · spring · face

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. spring — the season
  4. file — a document
  5. face — to confront
  6. file — a tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. face — to point toward
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. spring — a coil
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. roll — a list
  15. face — part of the head
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. file — a line of people
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fork — in a road
  21. roll — a cake
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. stand — to bear
  24. spring — of water

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