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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
468
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: coach · snap · bear · mate · wound · face · rash · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. mug — a face
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wound — an injury
  11. face — to confront
  12. bear — the animal
  13. snap — to click
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wound — an injury
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mug — to rob
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — a series
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bear — to put up with

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