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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 120 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: drill · snap · wind · rest · coach · bear · pop · plane

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pop — soda
  4. drill — army training
  5. snap — to click
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bear — the animal
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. plane — a tool
  16. rest — a break
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — to visit

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