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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 120 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: coach · rule · band · tear · face · lash · fine · racket

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. face — to point toward
  6. band — a ring
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rule — a law
  9. tear — from crying
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. tear — to rip
  15. band — a music group
  16. rule — government
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. tear — from crying
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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