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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 · coach · cabinet · date · lean · current · fan · key

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. key — for a lock
  3. lean — to bend
  4. key — in music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. key — the most important part
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. lean — thin
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. current — electric
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. date — the fruit

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