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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. game — wild animals
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. game — a match
  13. lean — thin
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lean — to bend
  18. snap — to click

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