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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: lean · coach · snap · cold · pass · bank · mouse · mark

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bank — of a river
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lean — thin
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cold — not warm
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. snap — to click
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. lean — to bend
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cold — an illness
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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