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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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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: suit · snap · wind · spell · press · firm · coach · club

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wind — moving air
  3. spell — magic
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wind — moving air
  6. firm — steady
  7. press — a publisher
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. spell — a short time
  10. firm — decided
  11. press — newspapers
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. suit — to fit
  14. spell — letters
  15. club — a group
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. firm — a company
  18. snap — to click
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. press — to push
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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