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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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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: bank · cap · kid · can · coach · stand · snap · branch

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. kid — to tease
  3. cap — of ice
  4. kid — child
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bank — for money
  9. branch — a division
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. can — to be able to
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bank — for money
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. snap — to click
  18. can — a tin
  19. bank — of a river
  20. cap — a hat
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cap — a lid

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