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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 · snap · coach · bulb · swing · pitcher · rest · plane

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. snap — to click
  3. bulb — for light
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bulb — for light
  7. roll — a list
  8. swing — music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. roll — a cake
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rest — a break
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. swing — to play on

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