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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fork · spell · row · swing · coach · staff · chest · nail

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fork — in a road
  4. swing — to play on
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. swing — in golf
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. staff — a stick
  13. chest — a box
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chest — of your body
  17. spell — magic
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. swing — music
  20. spell — a short time
  21. chest — of your body
  22. staff — employees
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. staff — employees

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