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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: bank · hand · date · mine · sharp · snap · lean · coach

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. sharp — clever
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. lean — thin
  6. hand — in cards
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — for digging
  11. date — the fruit
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bank — for money
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bank — of a river
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. snap — to click
  20. hand — help
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. date — on the calendar

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