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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 · charge · rock · kid · craft · perch · lash · jam

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. charge — electricity
  3. perch — the fish
  4. charge — a price
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rock — music
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. craft — boats
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. craft — a skill
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — child
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. rock — a stone
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. charge — in control
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lash — an eyelash

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