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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: snap · kid · press · charge · wave · coach · leaves · pass

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. snap — to click
  4. press — to push
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. press — a publisher
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. kid — child
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. charge — a price
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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