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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: wake · mine · snap · bank · mug · stem · coach · straw

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. snap — to click
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wake — a trail
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mine — for digging
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. mug — a face
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mug — to rob

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