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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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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: tear · spring · nail · squash · branch · firm · board · coach

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. tear — from crying
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. tear — from crying
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. spring — of water
  10. tear — to rip
  11. squash — the sport
  12. firm — decided
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. board — a committee
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. board — to get on
  17. spring — a coil
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — steady
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. spring — the season
  22. squash — to crush
  23. branch — a division
  24. nail — for a hammer

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