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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: spell · leaves · coach · snap · present · scale · sharp · roll

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. present — a gift
  4. roll — a list
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. snap — to click
  8. present — the time now
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. scale — in music
  12. spell — a short time
  13. present — there
  14. scale — size or range
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. roll — a cake
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. sharp — clever
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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