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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 · rock · snap · racket · hand · saw · degree · safe

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. degree — temperature
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. saw — the tool
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. hand — help
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. saw — the tool
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rock — music
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. degree — from a university
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. snap — to click
  20. degree — an amount
  21. rock — a stone
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. hand — in cards
  24. coach — a trainer

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