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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bound · pitcher · wake · coach · snap · wave · bowl · mate

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bound — certain
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. snap — to click
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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