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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. snap — to click
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. squash — the sport
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. roll — a list
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stand — to bear
  17. squash — to crush
  18. charge — electricity
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. roll — a cake

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