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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.

Make a worksheet

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: sharp · spell · lash · coach · bay · stick · hide · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spell — a short time
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. sharp — clever
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. spell — magic
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. spell — letters

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