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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.

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: mug · hand · board · cabinet · root · snap · coach · bowl

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mug — a face
  3. root — of a word
  4. board — a committee
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. board — to get on
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. hand — help
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. snap — to click
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. root — of a plant
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. root — the cause

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