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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: bound · mate · land · rash · scale · lash · coach · bowl

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. land — a country
  5. mate — a partner
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bound — certain
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mate — to breed
  11. land — ground
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. scale — size or range
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. mate — a friend
  16. land — to come down
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rash — a series

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