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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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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: coach · racket · chest · trunk · wave · lash · lie · craft

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. lie — to recline
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. craft — boats
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. craft — a skill

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