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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: deal · toast · bore · rest · nail · hand · coach · clip

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rest — a break
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rest — what's left
  6. clip — to cut
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rest — what's left
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. toast — bread
  20. hand — in cards
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. clip — a video
  24. deal — a big deal

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