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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: rest · mug · snap · coach · season · last · mate · stand

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. last — final
  4. mug — a face
  5. last — finally
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. season — of the year
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mate — a friend
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. last — to go on
  17. season — in sport
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mate — a partner
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mug — to rob
  24. season — to add flavour

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