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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 · pop · file · can · band · coach · saw · chair

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pop — to visit
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pop — soda
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. file — a tool
  7. pop — music
  8. can — a tin
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. can — a tin
  11. file — a line of people
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. band — a ring
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. saw — the tool
  19. file — a document
  20. chair — a leader
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. saw — the tool
  24. band — a music group

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