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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · coach · staff · bore · temple · cold · lash · branch

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bore — to drill
  5. cold — an illness
  6. staff — employees
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. branch — a division
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bore — to tire
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. nail — on a finger

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