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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. hand — in cards
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. band — a ring
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. band — a music group
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. hand — help
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pass — a permit
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — music

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