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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. tube — a container
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pound — a weight
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. cell — in biology
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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