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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: land · suit · bark · bank · coach · clip · stand · can

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bank — for money
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bark — to shout
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. land — to come down
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. clip — for paper
  11. land — ground
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. can — a tin
  14. suit — to fit
  15. clip — to cut
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. clip — a video
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. land — a country
  24. stand — to bear

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