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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.

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: nail · wound · fork · coach · perch · straw · ball · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wound — an injury
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. suit — in cards
  15. ball — a dance
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ball — a great time
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wound — an injury
  21. suit — to fit
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fork — to eat with

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