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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: lash · coach · rush · cell · board · fine · mine · kick

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. cell — in biology
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rush — hurry
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. cell — a phone
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. kick — in football
  24. mine — belonging to me

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