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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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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: kick · suit · march · chest · bank · stand · snap · pit

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. suit — to fit
  3. march — the month
  4. kick — in football
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. chest — a box
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. march — music
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bank — for money
  16. suit — clothes
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. snap — to click
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. march — the month
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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