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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: coach · sharp · row · snap · saw · arm · lash · mug

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. row — to paddle
  3. mug — a face
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. row — a line
  8. snap — to click
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mug — to rob
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mug — a cup
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. sharp — clever
  22. saw — the tool
  23. arm — a part of something
  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