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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: spell · march · ground · current · hide · ruler · snap · coach

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. current — of water
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ground — a position
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ground — the earth
  8. march — the month
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. current — happening now
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. march — music
  15. current — electric
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. snap — to click
  18. ground — crushed
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. march — the month
  23. spell — letters
  24. ruler — a monarch

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