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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: stick · craft · coach · snap · bank · perch · season · wave

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. snap — to click
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bank — of a river
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a skill
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. perch — the fish
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bank — for money
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bank — for money
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. wave — of the sea

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