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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: jam · club · coach · race · foot · face · season · lash

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. season — of the year
  8. club — for dancing
  9. season — in sport
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. face — to point toward
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. race — the arms race
  24. face — to confront

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