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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · object · cold · can · race · leaves · snap · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. can — a tin
  3. race — a contest
  4. cold — not warm
  5. object — an aim
  6. snap — to click
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cold — an illness
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. race — humankind
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. can — a tin
  19. race — the arms race
  20. object — to protest
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. object — a thing
  23. coach — a trainer
  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