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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: dip · leaves · coach · row · land · stick · lie · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. row — a line
  3. snap — to click
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — to paddle
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. lie — to recline
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. land — to come down
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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