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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 · mine · tube · coach · wave · arm · snap · mug

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. tube — a container
  5. mug — to rob
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bank — for money
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bank — of a river
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. tube — the underground
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bank — for money
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mug — a face
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. arm — a part of something

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