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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: squash · wave · kick · wake · snap · pop · fine · coach

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. fine — all right
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pop — music
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. kick — in football
  12. wake — a trail
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pop — soda
  15. fine — high quality
  16. snap — to click
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pop — to visit
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. squash — the sport

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