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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · club · snap · mark · bay · can · temple · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mark — a trace
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mark — a grade
  9. can — a tin
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. can — a tin
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wake — a trail
  22. snap — to click
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. club — for dancing

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