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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. key — the most important part
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. key — for a lock
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. tube — a container
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. row — to paddle
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. land — to come down
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rush — hurry
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. key — in music
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. row — a line
  24. tube — the underground

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