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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 · coach · fall · suit · fork · fine · mine · mug

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mug — a cup
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. mug — a face
  13. fork — in a road
  14. snap — to click
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fall — the season
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mug — to rob
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mine — for digging

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