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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: bore · coach · branch · toast · lash · bay · bat · fine

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bat — the animal
  3. fine — high quality
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fine — all right
  20. toast — bread
  21. bore — to tire
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. bat — for baseball

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