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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: coach · lash · nail · march · current · fork · bay · saw

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. current — of water
  3. march — music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. march — the month
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. fork — in a road
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. current — happening now
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. current — electric
  24. march — the month

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