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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: coach · craft · lash · charge · bulb · wake · race · band

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. band — a ring
  7. race — a contest
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wake — a trail
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. race — humankind
  19. charge — in control
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. band — a music group
  23. charge — a price
  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