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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 120 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: net · drill · coach · lash · pass · craft · band · nail

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. band — a music group
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — boats
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. drill — the tool
  9. band — a ring
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. net — for catching
  14. drill — a practice
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pass — a permit
  20. drill — army training
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. nail — on a finger
  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