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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: nail · stand · pop · coach · bowl · lash · lean · last

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. lean — to bend
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. last — final
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. lean — thin
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. last — to go on
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pop — music
  24. last — finally

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