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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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Word bank
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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: mug · bear · cold · snap · coach · fan · kick · safe

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. cold — an illness
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bear — the animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. snap — to click
  15. bear — the animal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cold — not warm
  18. mug — a cup
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. kick — in football
  24. safe — a strongbox

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