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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · chip · leaves · can · cold · coach · lash · mouse

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. can — a tin
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. chip — for betting
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. can — a tin
  18. row — to paddle
  19. cold — not warm
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cold — an illness
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. can — to be able to

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