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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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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 · clip · jam · snap · stand · dip · rest · coach

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bank — for money
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. rest — what's left
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rest — a break
  16. snap — to click
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rest — what's left
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bank — for money
  21. clip — to cut
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. clip — a video

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