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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
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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 · coach · wake · calf · chair · hand · face · tube

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. wake — a trail
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. tube — a container
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. hand — help
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — to point toward
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. face — part of the head
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. chair — a leader
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. hand — in cards
  24. chair — a professorship

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