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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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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: straw · last · deal · ground · lash · mark · bowl · coach

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mark — a trace
  3. ground — a position
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. last — final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. last — to go on
  15. mark — a grade
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. last — finally
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. ground — crushed
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. lash — to lash out

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