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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: arm · firm · coach · toast · cold · drill · lash · mug

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. firm — a company
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. mug — to rob
  7. drill — the tool
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mug — a face
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. cold — an illness
  14. mug — a cup
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. firm — decided
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. drill — a practice
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. firm — steady
  22. cold — not warm
  23. drill — army training
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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