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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: band · suit · bowl · deal · bear · chest · coach · snap

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. band — a music group
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. band — a ring
  16. bear — the animal
  17. suit — clothes
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bear — the animal
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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