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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
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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: key · date · coach · lash · trunk · roll · object · cold

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. object — a thing
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. object — an aim
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — a cake
  10. key — for a lock
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. date — the fruit
  14. cold — not warm
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. key — the most important part
  18. object — to protest
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. key — in music
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cold — an illness

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