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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: wave · chip · lash · hand · track · spell · present · coach

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. hand — in cards
  3. track — a song
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. spell — letters
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. hand — help
  10. present — there
  11. chip — to eat
  12. present — the time now
  13. spell — a short time
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. spell — magic
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. present — a gift
  19. chip — for betting
  20. track — a path
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. coach — a trainer

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