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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · jam · coach · lash · nail · press · wax · drill

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. press — newspapers
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. drill — army training
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. drill — a practice
  18. press — to push
  19. drill — the tool
  20. press — a publisher
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. nail — for a hammer

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