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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stand · hand · bulb · spell · pit · lash

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. spell — magic
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wind — moving air
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. hand — help
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stand — to bear
  13. spell — letters
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pit — in a race
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. spell — a short time
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. hand — part of the body

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