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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: lash · file · coach · snap · nail · content · rash · bound

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. snap — to click
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bound — certain
  5. file — a line of people
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rash — hasty
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. content — happy
  19. bound — tied together
  20. content — the amount
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rash — a series
  24. coach — a trainer

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