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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: coach · ball · pass · lash · rash · game · saw · foot

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rash — hasty
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. foot — a measure
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rash — a series
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. game — wild animals
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. saw — the tool
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. game — a match
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pass — a permit

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