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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: cabinet · fan · coach · stand · tube · spell · track · snap

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. snap — to click
  4. tube — a container
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. spell — letters
  7. track — a song
  8. spell — a short time
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. stand — to bear
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. spell — magic
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. track — a path
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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