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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: face · mouse · land · swing · coach · root · tube · craft

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. land — a country
  3. root — of a plant
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — ground
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tube — a container
  8. face — to point toward
  9. swing — in golf
  10. root — of a word
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. root — the cause
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. face — part of the head
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. swing — to play on
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. swing — music
  23. face — to confront
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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