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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 120 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: snap · can · coach · wind · cap · straw · mug · stand

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cap — a hat
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. mug — to rob
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. can — a tin
  13. mug — a face
  14. cap — of ice
  15. can — a tin
  16. cap — a lid
  17. snap — to click
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mug — a cup

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