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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: wind · coach · lash · lie · court · spell · charge · bass

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bass — the fish
  4. lie — to recline
  5. court — of law
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. spell — a short time
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. spell — magic
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bass — low music
  17. charge — a price
  18. court — of a king
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. charge — in control
  22. spell — letters
  23. court — for sport
  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