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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lash · fan · pitch · toast · squash · coach · bass · trunk

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pitch — completely
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — low music
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bass — the fish
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. toast — bread
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. lash — to lash out

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