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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: lash · wind · staff · march · coach · row · rock · track

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wind — moving air
  4. march — the month
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. staff — employees
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rock — a stone
  12. march — music
  13. staff — employees
  14. wind — moving air
  15. staff — a stick
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. track — a song
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. march — the month
  24. track — a path

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