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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: nail · press · kick · current · coach · fall · hand · fork

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. press — newspapers
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fork — in a road
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. kick — in football
  13. press — to push
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. current — happening now
  16. fall — to drop
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. hand — in cards
  19. current — of water
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. hand — help
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. current — electric
  24. coach — a trainer

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