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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
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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 · drill · mouse · date · coach · bay · craft · degree

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. degree — an amount
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. degree — temperature
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. craft — boats
  13. date — the fruit
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. degree — from a university
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — a practice
  24. date — on the calendar

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