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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: pound · snap · patient · last · spell · coach · pass · wake

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. last — final
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. snap — to click
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. last — to go on
  12. spell — magic
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. spell — letters
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pound — a weight
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pass — to spend time
  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