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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: wake · can · snap · ball · coach · deal · spell · present

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. can — to be able to
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wake — a trail
  6. spell — letters
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. deal — to handle
  10. can — a tin
  11. present — the time now
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. present — there
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. ball — a great time
  17. can — a tin
  18. snap — to click
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. ball — a dance
  22. present — a gift
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. spell — magic

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