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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: nail · rest · lean · content · cabinet · season · fan · coach

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rest — what's left
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. content — happy
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. season — in sport
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. season — of the year
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. content — the amount
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rest — a break
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. nail — on a finger

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