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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: saw · dip · perch · wind · lash · chest · lean · coach

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. perch — the fish
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chest — of your body
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lean — to bend
  11. dip — to sink
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lean — thin
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wind — moving air
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. chest — a box
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. dip — to dunk

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