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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
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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: present · fan · fork · coach · fall · nail · bound · straw

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. present — the time now
  7. bound — obliged
  8. present — a gift
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. present — there
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bound — tied together
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fall — the season
  19. bound — certain
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. coach — a trainer
  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