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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 120 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 · mouse · season · nail · snap · fan · rush · bore

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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. mouse — for a computer
  4. season — in sport
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to click
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. season — of the year
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mouse — the animal

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