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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
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: straw · nail · cell · craft · fan · rock · coach · squash

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rock — music
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. craft — boats
  15. squash — the sport
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. cell — in biology
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rock — a stone
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. fan — a supporter

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