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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: fan · band · deal · lash · key · cell · coach · object

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. object — a thing
  3. cell — in biology
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. band — a ring
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. deal — to handle
  9. key — the most important part
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. object — to protest
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. key — in music
  19. band — a music group
  20. cell — a phone
  21. object — an aim
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. key — for a lock
  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