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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: root · firm · coach · snap · mine · wave · perch · spell

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. perch — the fish
  3. root — the cause
  4. mine — for digging
  5. snap — to click
  6. firm — steady
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. spell — magic
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. firm — a company
  14. spell — letters
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. spell — a short time
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. firm — decided
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mine — an explosive

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