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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.

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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: coach · nail · squash · tear · rest · foot · band · cabinet

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rest — what's left
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. tear — to rip
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. band — a ring
  8. tear — from crying
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. band — a music group
  17. rest — what's left
  18. foot — a measure
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. rest — a break
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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