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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 · nail · fork · club · bulb · cold · leaves · safe

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. club — for dancing
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. club — a group
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fork — in a road
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cold — not warm
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cold — an illness
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. club — for golf
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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