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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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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: snap · stem · face · coach · fall · spell · jam · perch

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. face — part of the head
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. spell — magic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. face — to point toward
  8. spell — letters
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. snap — to click
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. face — to confront
  17. fall — to drop
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stem — to come from
  24. fall — the season

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