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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: saw · net · snap · jam · chest · arm · coach · face

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. net — for catching
  3. face — part of the head
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. saw — the tool
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. face — to point toward
  11. saw — the tool
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. face — to confront
  14. chest — of your body
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. chest — of your body
  18. net — in sport
  19. snap — to click
  20. chest — a box
  21. net — after costs
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. jam — in traffic

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