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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: lie · cabinet · coach · nail · kick · perch · rash · bound

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bound — tied together
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. perch — the fish
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bound — certain
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — a series
  22. bound — obliged
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cabinet — ministers

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