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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: bank · wind · coach · stock · snap · saw · can · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bank — of a river
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. can — a tin
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bank — for money
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stock — goods
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. stock — shares
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. snap — to click
  18. wind — moving air
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bank — for money
  21. saw — the tool
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. can — a tin

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