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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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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: sharp · lash · wound · shower · last · nail · coach · rest

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. rest — what's left
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. last — final
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rest — a break
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. sharp — clever
  15. shower — rain
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rest — what's left
  21. shower — to wash
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — finally

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