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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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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: dip · nail · fork · snap · tube · wound · club · coach

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. club — a group
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fork — in a road
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wound — an injury
  13. snap — to click
  14. club — for dancing
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. club — for golf
  19. tube — a container
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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