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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.

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: file · season · shower · lash · hide · coach · swing · bank

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. season — of the year
  3. file — a line of people
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bank — of a river
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. shower — rain
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. swing — music
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. file — a document
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bank — for money
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bank — for money
  20. shower — to wash
  21. file — a tool
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. season — in sport
  24. hide — to keep secret

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