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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 116 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: dip · cabinet · season · coach · lash · land · chair · wake

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. dip — to sink
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wake — a trail
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. season — of the year
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. land — a country
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chair — a leader
  16. land — ground
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. land — to come down
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. cabinet — ministers

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