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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
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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 · clip · club · snap · leaves · mug · drill · fan

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mug — a face
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. drill — army training
  5. club — a group
  6. clip — a video
  7. bank — for money
  8. drill — the tool
  9. mug — a cup
  10. clip — for paper
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. club — for golf
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mug — to rob
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. club — for dancing
  22. snap — to click
  23. drill — a practice
  24. fan — a supporter

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