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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: row · swing · bound · ground · temple · file · coach · nail

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. swing — music
  5. file — a tool
  6. swing — to play on
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bound — tied together
  9. swing — in golf
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bound — certain
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ground — crushed
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. row — a line
  20. bound — obliged
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a document

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