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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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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wake — a trail
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bank — for money
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pop — soda
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bank — of a river
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pop — music
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. snap — to click
  17. bank — for money
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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