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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 116 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: last · court · suit · snap · rock · nail · coach · firm

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rock — a stone
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. last — final
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rock — music
  11. last — finally
  12. suit — clothes
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. last — to go on
  17. firm — a company
  18. court — of a king
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. court — for sport
  21. snap — to click
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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