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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: snap · dip · swing · staff · can · fork · deal · coach

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. swing — to play on
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. staff — employees
  5. fork — in a road
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. snap — to click
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. can — to be able to
  12. dip — to sink
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. staff — a stick
  19. deal — to handle
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. staff — employees
  24. can — a tin

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