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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. saw — the tool
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bass — the fish
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bass — low music
  18. saw — the tool

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