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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 120 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: coach · nail · patient · chest · deal · drill · saw · bowl

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. drill — army training
  5. chest — of your body
  6. drill — the tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. drill — a practice
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chest — of your body
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chest — a box
  24. saw — the tool

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