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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
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: kid · can · nail · coach · scale · drill · mate · wound

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. can — a tin
  2. wound — an injury
  3. drill — a practice
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. mate — to breed
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. can — to be able to
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. kid — child
  13. scale — size or range
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. kid — to tease
  16. mate — a partner
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. drill — army training
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. drill — the tool
  21. can — a tin
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mate — a friend
  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