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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: stick · racket · file · coach · mate · stand · branch · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. stand — to bear
  3. branch — a division
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mate — a partner
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. snap — to click
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. file — a tool
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. file — a document
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stand — on your feet

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