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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: fall · mark · coach · bowl · saw · game · lash · bank

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bank — for money
  3. mark — a trace
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fall — the season
  8. bank — of a river
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mark — a grade
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bank — for money
  18. saw — the tool
  19. game — a match
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. game — wild animals
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bowl — to roll

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