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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: pop · saw · coach · stand · wave · row · can · snap

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. snap — to click
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. can — to be able to
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pop — to visit
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pop — soda
  21. saw — the tool
  22. row — to paddle
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. row — a line

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