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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: fan · pit · content · cue · root · coach · hide · lash

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pit — in a race
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. content — happy
  7. cue — a hint
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. content — the amount
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cue — a signal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pit — a hole
  24. cue — for pool

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