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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 120 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: wind · coach · pop · lean · lash · arm · bowl · patient

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. lean — thin
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pop — music
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pop — soda

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