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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: lash · stock · coach · swing · cabinet · bore · foot · race

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. swing — in golf
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. stock — shares
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. swing — to play on
  19. stock — goods
  20. swing — music
  21. bore — to drill
  22. foot — a measure
  23. race — humankind
  24. bore — to tire

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