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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 120 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. drill — a practice
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. can — a tin
  6. shower — to wash
  7. lean — thin
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mate — a friend
  10. shower — rain
  11. mate — to breed
  12. can — to be able to
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. drill — the tool
  16. wake — a trail
  17. lean — to bend
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. can — a tin
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. drill — army training
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mate — a partner
  24. trunk — of a tree

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