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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: suit · wax · land · ruler · dip · coach · pitcher · snap

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. snap — to click
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. suit — to fit
  13. land — ground
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. suit — in cards
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wax — to grow
  22. land — a country
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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