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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: roll · bay · coach · safe · hand · mate · season · snap

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. season — in sport
  4. mate — to breed
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. season — of the year
  14. roll — a cake
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. roll — a list
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. mate — a friend
  20. snap — to click
  21. mate — a partner
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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