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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: tube · snap · wave · coach · content · clip · roll · cap

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. content — the amount
  3. cap — a lid
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. content — happy
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. roll — a list
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. clip — for paper
  16. tube — a container
  17. clip — a video
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. clip — to cut
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. tube — the underground

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