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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.

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: coach · nail · plane · lash · content · race · leaves · saw

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. plane — a tool
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. saw — the tool
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. content — the amount
  18. saw — the tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. content — happy
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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