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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
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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: fan · coach · key · stick · straw · last · nail · foot

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. foot — a measure
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. last — final
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. key — for a lock
  12. last — finally
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. last — to go on
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. key — the most important part
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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