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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: craft · coach · lash · mate · jam · shower · rock · kick

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mate — a partner
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. mate — to breed
  6. craft — boats
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. kick — in football
  12. mate — a friend
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. shower — rain
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. shower — to wash

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