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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: mate · perch · chest · coach · leaves · snap · rush · ruler

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mate — to breed
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. chest — a box
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mate — a friend
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. snap — to click
  20. rush — hurry
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mate — a partner
  24. ruler — a monarch

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