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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 · date · wax · hide · bear · coach · dip · pop

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bear — the animal
  3. snap — to click
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pop — to visit
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pop — music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pop — soda
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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