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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: coach · snap · wound · club · rock · rush · bank · fork

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. club — a group
  5. rock — music
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bank — for money
  10. snap — to click
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bank — of a river
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. fork — in a road
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bank — for money
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. club — for golf
  24. fork — a garden tool

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