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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: chip · chest · ground · lash · coach · cabinet · rock · mouse

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. ground — the earth
  4. chest — a box
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. ground — a position
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rock — music
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rock — a stone
  19. chip — to eat
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ground — crushed
  24. lash — an eyelash

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