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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: bore · coach · nail · rock · firm · hand · bat · shower

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bore — to tire
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. firm — decided
  7. rock — a stone
  8. hand — help
  9. shower — rain
  10. bat — the animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. firm — a company
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hand — in cards
  20. firm — steady
  21. rock — music
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bore — to drill
  24. coach — a trainer

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