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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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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 · wound · cue · ruler · rash · bay · face

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wound — an injury
  9. face — to confront
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wound — an injury
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rash — a series
  17. cue — a signal
  18. snap — to click
  19. cue — a hint
  20. face — part of the head
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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