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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: root · band · pop · coach · craft · land · snap · rush

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. root — of a plant
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pop — music
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pop — to visit
  9. rush — hurry
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. root — of a word
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. craft — boats
  16. snap — to click
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. root — the cause
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. land — a country
  23. pop — soda
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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