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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: fall · press · coach · craft · root · rule · mouse · trunk

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rule — a law
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. craft — boats
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. press — newspapers
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. fall — to drop
  11. root — of a plant
  12. press — a publisher
  13. fall — the season
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. press — to push
  16. craft — a skill
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rule — government
  24. coach — a trainer

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