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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: clip · nail · coach · bound · pop · bear · race · bulb

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. race — humankind
  3. bulb — for light
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. race — a contest
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pop — music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bound — certain
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pop — soda
  15. race — the arms race
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — a video
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bear — the animal
  22. clip — to cut
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. nail — on a finger

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