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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 116 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: dip · lean · last · coach · snap · wax · bound · saw

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. snap — to click
  3. bound — certain
  4. last — final
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. lean — thin
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. last — to go on
  14. bound — tied together
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. dip — to sink
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. lean — to bend
  21. last — finally
  22. bound — obliged
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. coach — a trainer

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