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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: mug · fan · pound · wound · nail · calf · track · coach

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mug — to rob
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mug — a face
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. track — a song
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. track — a path
  21. pound — a weight
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mug — a cup

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