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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: spell · coach · bowl · snap · cue · stem · squash · drill

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. drill — army training
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. squash — the sport
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. snap — to click
  24. squash — the vegetable

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