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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: sharp · row · lash · stand · coach · tear · ball · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. row — to paddle
  9. tear — from crying
  10. swing — music
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. tear — to rip
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. swing — in golf
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. row — a line
  21. stand — to bear
  22. tear — from crying
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. stand — for spectators

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