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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: coach · snap · bank · leaves · squash · clip · nail · toast

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bank — of a river
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. toast — bread
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bank — for money
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bank — for money
  14. snap — to click
  15. clip — for paper
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. clip — a video
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. clip — to cut
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. squash — the sport
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. squash — to crush

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