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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: stick · file · pop · coach · fan · craft · nail · sharp

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. craft — boats
  7. file — a tool
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pop — music
  11. craft — a skill
  12. pop — soda
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. file — a document
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. file — a line of people
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. craft — a handicraft

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