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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: lash · mine · club · mark · suit · tear · wake · coach

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mine — for digging
  4. club — for golf
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mark — a grade
  15. suit — to fit
  16. club — for dancing
  17. tear — from crying
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. club — a group
  23. mark — a trace
  24. coach — a trainer

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