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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: lash · shower · rock · coach · pop · bound · hand · nail

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rock — music
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. pop — music
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pop — soda
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. hand — in cards
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. hand — help
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rock — a stone

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