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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. land — a country
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. dip — to sink
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. key — for a lock
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. key — the most important part
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. land — to come down
  13. key — in music
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. land — ground
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. 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