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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. object — a thing
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. snap — to click
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. drill — a practice
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. drill — army training
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. object — an aim
  15. stand — to bear
  16. face — to confront
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. face — to point toward
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. object — to protest
  21. face — part of the head
  22. drill — the tool
  23. chip — for betting
  24. saw — the tool

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