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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: land · safe · pitcher · press · pit · spring · lash · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. spring — of water
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spring — a coil
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. press — newspapers
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. land — ground
  13. pit — in a race
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. press — to push
  16. spring — the season
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pit — a hole
  24. coach — a trainer

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