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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: race · fan · coach · foot · perch · date · cabinet · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. foot — a measure
  8. race — a contest
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. date — the fruit
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. race — humankind
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. race — the arms race
  24. foot — part of the body

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