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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: snap · fan · trunk · coach · mine · hand · bank · stand

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. snap — to click
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. hand — in cards
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bank — for money
  16. stand — to bear
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. fan — a supporter
  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