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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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. saw — the tool
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bark — to shout
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. saw — the tool
  20. snap — to click
  21. lean — thin
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. rush — hurry

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