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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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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: mug · snap · saw · bulb · hand · coach · file · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. file — a tool
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. file — a document
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — to rob
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mug — a cup
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. snap — to click
  20. file — a line of people
  21. hand — help
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bulb — for light

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