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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
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: hand · pop · kid · mug · snap · coach · wake · craft

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. hand — help
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mug — a cup
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. kid — to tease
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pop — soda
  15. craft — a skill
  16. snap — to click
  17. craft — boats
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mug — to rob
  20. wake — a trail
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. mug — a face
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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