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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: straw · mug · cap · coach · chair · cell · mouse · root

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mug — to rob
  4. chair — a leader
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mug — a face
  8. root — the cause
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cap — a hat
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cap — a lid
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. cell — in biology
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. cell — a phone
  24. mouse — the animal

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