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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 120 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: nail · stock · pit · fan · coach · bound · sharp · lash

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pit — a hole
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pit — in a race
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bound — obliged
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bound — certain
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stock — shares
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stock — goods
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lash — an eyelash

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