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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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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: hand · arm · snap · coach · bulb · bay · club · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. club — for golf
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wake — a trail
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. hand — help
  17. snap — to click
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. club — a group
  24. bulb — for light

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