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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: lie · root · craft · straw · chip · cap · coach · key

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. key — in music
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. root — of a plant
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. craft — a skill
  10. key — for a lock
  11. craft — boats
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. root — of a word
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. chip — for betting
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. root — the cause
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. key — the most important part
  22. chip — to eat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. lie — to recline

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