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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.

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: rock · fall · saw · nail · lash · coach · cabinet · leaves

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. fall — to drop
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fall — the season
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rock — music
  13. saw — the tool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rock — a stone
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. saw — the tool

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