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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: press · lash · coach · ruler · file · nail · can · race

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — newspapers
  8. can — to be able to
  9. race — humankind
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. press — to push
  17. file — a line of people
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. can — a tin
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. race — the arms race
  23. can — a tin
  24. race — a contest

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