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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 116 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: press · key · sharp · row · lash · nail · band · coach

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. press — newspapers
  4. row — a line
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. key — in music
  8. press — a publisher
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. key — the most important part
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. band — a ring
  16. key — for a lock
  17. band — a music group
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. press — to push
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. sharp — clever
  24. nail — for a hammer

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