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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: snap · wax · arm · season · bank · cap · march · coach

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. snap — to click
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cap — a lid
  12. march — the month
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. march — the month
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. cap — of ice
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. march — music
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wax — to grow
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. wax — in the ear

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