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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: fan · trunk · net · nail · rash · coach · row · swing

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. net — in sport
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. net — after costs
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. swing — to play on
  11. net — for catching
  12. swing — music
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. row — to paddle
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. swing — in golf
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rash — hasty
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. rash — a series

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