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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: nail · fan · coach · ground · suit · current · vault · snap

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. suit — to fit
  4. current — of water
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. ground — crushed
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. current — electric
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ground — a position
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ground — the earth
  23. current — happening now
  24. snap — to click

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