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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: coach · lie · saw · rash · tear · swing · fan · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rash — a series
  3. tear — from crying
  4. saw — the tool
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. swing — to play on
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rash — hasty
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. swing — in golf
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. saw — the tool
  21. swing — music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lie — an untruth

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