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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 120 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: march · cabinet · kid · bank · lie · nail · mate · coach

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bank — for money
  3. lie — to recline
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bank — for money
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bank — of a river
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. mate — a friend
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mate — a partner
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. march — the month
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. kid — child
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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