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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: firm · bulb · nail · band · coach · fork · cell · clip

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. band — a music group
  5. firm — a company
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. clip — to cut
  8. fork — in a road
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. firm — decided
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bulb — for light
  17. clip — a video
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. band — a ring
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cell — a phone
  23. firm — steady
  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