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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: snap · perch · rash · season · wave · fork · suit · coach

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. fork — in a road
  13. season — of the year
  14. rash — a series
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. suit — to fit
  17. snap — to click
  18. suit — clothes
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rash — hasty
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. perch — for a bird

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