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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.

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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: coach · racket · lash · mine · bound · sharp · swing · chip

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. chip — for betting
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. sharp — clever
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mine — for digging
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bound — obliged
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. swing — music
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bound — certain
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. swing — in golf
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bound — tied together
  24. swing — to play on

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