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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 120 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 · coach · mouse · court · spring · rush · wake

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. spring — a coil
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. court — of a king
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. wake — a trail
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. spring — of water
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spring — the season
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rush — hurry
  21. snap — to click
  22. court — for sport
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. court — of law

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