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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · nail · coach · rush · snap · lash · pop · field

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. field — for sport
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rush — hurry
  8. snap — to click
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. field — a subject
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pop — soda
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pop — music
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pop — to visit
  20. field — farmland
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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