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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: mine · cue · coach · ruler · snap · bore · mug · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. cue — a signal
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mug — a cup
  7. snap — to click
  8. mine — for digging
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bore — to drill
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cue — a hint
  17. last — final
  18. mug — to rob
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. last — to go on
  22. mug — a face
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bore — to tire

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