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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
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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: dip · nail · lash · coach · press · saw · kick · date

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. press — a publisher
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. press — newspapers
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. saw — the tool
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. press — to push
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. saw — the tool
  24. dip — to sink

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