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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: bank · present · fan · nail · kid · club · band · coach

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  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. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — to tease
  3. club — a group
  4. bank — for money
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. club — for dancing
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. present — the time now
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. kid — child
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. band — a ring
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. club — for golf
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  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