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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 116 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: last · coach · court · lie · kick · stock · nail · wound

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. court — for sport
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stock — shares
  14. kick — in football
  15. last — final
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stock — goods
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. court — of law
  21. wound — an injury
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. kick — a thrill

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