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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: fan · nail · chip · bound · wake · stock · straw · coach

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bound — certain
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bound — obliged
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stock — goods
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bound — tied together
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. stock — shares
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wake — a trail
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. straw — a straw man

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