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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.

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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: lash · chip · saw · spell · coach · plane · stock · stick

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stock — goods
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. spell — a short time
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stock — shares
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chip — to eat
  18. plane — a tool
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. saw — the tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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