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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: rule · snap · row · file · cabinet · coach · wake · racket

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  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. row — a quarrel
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. snap — to click
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rule — a law
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. row — to paddle
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. row — a line
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. file — a line of people
  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