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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 120 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: fall · snap · mouse · chip · march · coach · mate · mug

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mug — a face
  3. march — music
  4. mug — to rob
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mate — to breed
  8. chip — for betting
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mate — a friend
  13. march — the month
  14. mug — a cup
  15. fall — to drop
  16. chip — to eat
  17. march — the month
  18. mate — a partner
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fall — to drop
  22. snap — to click
  23. fall — the season
  24. coach — a trainer

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