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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: snap · bank · jam · capital · suit · present · kick · rock

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. suit — to fit
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. present — there
  7. capital — a city
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. snap — to click
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bank — of a river
  13. present — the time now
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. suit — clothes
  17. rock — music
  18. kick — in football
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. rock — a stone
  21. present — a gift
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. capital — 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