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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: bass · spell · cue · last · plane · hand · snap · coach

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bass — the fish
  4. cue — a hint
  5. plane — a tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. last — to go on
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. last — finally
  10. spell — magic
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. spell — letters
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cue — a signal
  17. snap — to click
  18. last — final
  19. hand — help
  20. bass — low music
  21. cue — for pool
  22. spell — a short time
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. hand — part of the body

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