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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.

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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: stock · lean · coach · nail · file · stick · object · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stock — shares
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. file — a line of people
  6. lean — thin
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. object — a thing
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. object — to protest
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lean — to bend
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. object — an aim
  18. stock — goods
  19. file — a document
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. file — a tool
  23. stock — a soup base
  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