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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.

Make a worksheet

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: snap · cabinet · current · swing · march · coach · wave · track

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. track — a path
  5. snap — to click
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. current — electric
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. track — a song
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. swing — in golf
  14. current — happening now
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. swing — music
  18. current — of water
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. swing — to play on
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. march — music

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