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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lie · court · coach · pitcher · plane · lash · saw · kick

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. court — for sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. saw — the tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lie — to recline
  17. court — of law
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. court — of a king

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