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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: coach · net · fan · date · arm · lash · toast · bound

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. date — the fruit
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. net — in sport
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. net — for catching
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. toast — bread
  24. net — after costs

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