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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · land · current · coach · nail · season · bulb · wound

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. object — an aim
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. current — happening now
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wound — an injury
  7. object — a thing
  8. current — electric
  9. bulb — for light
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. land — ground
  13. land — to come down
  14. object — to protest
  15. current — of water
  16. wound — an injury
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — in sport
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. land — a country
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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