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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: lash · root · coach · craft · march · swing · mouse · cap

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. swing — music
  3. march — the month
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. root — the cause
  6. craft — a skill
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. swing — to play on
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. march — the month
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. swing — in golf
  15. cap — a lid
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. root — of a word
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. root — of a plant
  21. craft — boats
  22. cap — of ice
  23. march — music
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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