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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: deal · wake · squash · snap · kid · march · swing · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. swing — in golf
  3. kid — child
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. squash — to crush
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. squash — the sport
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. snap — to click
  12. deal — to handle
  13. march — the month
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. swing — to play on
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. kid — to tease
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. swing — music
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wake — a trail

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