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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: snap · saw · leaves · coach · fan · wave · cap · root

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. snap — to click
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. root — the cause
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. root — of a word
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cap — of ice
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — a lid
  23. saw — the tool
  24. root — of a plant

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