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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: suit · snap · bore · coach · clip · object · roll · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bore — to drill
  5. firm — decided
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. suit — clothes
  8. snap — to click
  9. firm — a company
  10. clip — a video
  11. suit — to fit
  12. object — a thing
  13. suit — in cards
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. object — to protest
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. clip — for paper
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. object — an aim
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bore — to tire
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. clip — to cut

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