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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · swing · board · straw · cap · lash · cabinet · coach

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. board — to get on
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. swing — to play on
  7. cap — a hat
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. swing — in golf
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. swing — music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cap — of ice
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. cap — a lid
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. board — a committee
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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