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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: snap · nail · face · coach · net · tube · kick · bound

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. net — after costs
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. face — to confront
  8. net — for catching
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. net — in sport
  11. snap — to click
  12. face — to point toward
  13. tube — a container
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bound — tied together
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. face — part of the head
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. kick — in football
  22. tube — the underground
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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