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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 116 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: bank · mine · coach · clip · bay · mate · wake · staff

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. staff — employees
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mate — to breed
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. clip — a video
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bank — for money
  20. staff — employees
  21. mate — a partner
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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