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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: coach · pound · nail · content · fall · cell · toast · bank

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bank — of a river
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. cell — a phone
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cell — in biology
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. content — the amount
  15. fall — to drop
  16. content — happy
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bank — for money
  21. toast — bread
  22. bank — for money
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. fall — the season

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