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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 · wake · bulb · ground · bear · fan · craft · lash

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bulb — for light
  5. craft — a skill
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ground — the earth
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. craft — boats
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ground — a position
  24. bulb — for light

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