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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · field · coach · spell · lash · fall · fan · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. can — a tin
  4. field — farmland
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. staff — employees
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. spell — magic
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. can — a tin
  12. fall — to drop
  13. can — to be able to
  14. spell — letters
  15. field — for sport
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fall — to drop
  20. spell — a short time
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fall — the season
  24. field — a subject

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