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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: roll · object · can · current · snap · swing · coach · toast

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. current — happening now
  8. object — an aim
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — a cake
  11. swing — in golf
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — bread
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. swing — music
  20. can — a tin
  21. current — of water
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. swing — to play on

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