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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rush · coach · wind · can · wake · dip · mouse · snap

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rush — hurry
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. snap — to click
  15. can — a tin
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wind — moving air
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wind — to turn a key

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