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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: lean · rash · hide · lash · charge · coach · pop · saw

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rash — hasty
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pop — soda
  9. charge — electricity
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. charge — a price
  12. lean — to bend
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pop — to visit
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pop — music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. charge — in control
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. lean — thin
  23. saw — the tool
  24. hide — animal skin

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