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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · game · last · coach · object · snap · chest · lie

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. snap — to click
  3. mug — to rob
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. chest — of your body
  8. object — an aim
  9. mug — a face
  10. object — to protest
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. game — wild animals
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. last — finally
  15. object — a thing
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. lie — to recline
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chest — a box
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. game — a match
  24. chest — of your body

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