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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: snap · rule · tear · dip · ground · wave · coach · perch

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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. tear — from crying
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rule — a law
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to sink
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. tear — from crying
  12. snap — to click
  13. ground — the earth
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. ground — a position
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. perch — the fish
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rule — government
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. tear — to rip

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