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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: face · wind · coach · stock · lash · sharp · mug · hand

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. mug — a face
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. face — to confront
  8. hand — help
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wind — moving air
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wind — moving air
  14. face — to point toward
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. sharp — clever
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wind — to turn a key

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