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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: bay · chair · bulb · bowl · nail · snap · kick · coach

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. kick — in football
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. snap — to click
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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