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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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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 · court · object · coach · mouse · lash · face · fan

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. court — of law
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lean — thin
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. face — to confront
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lean — to bend
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. object — an aim
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. object — a thing
  20. court — of a king
  21. face — to point toward
  22. court — for sport
  23. face — part of the head
  24. lean — to rest against

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