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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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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: coach · straw · snap · leaves · can · suit · saw · wound

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. suit — clothes
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. can — to be able to
  8. snap — to click
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. can — a tin
  11. suit — to fit
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. can — a tin
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. wound — an injury
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. suit — in cards
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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