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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: can · tear · deal · cabinet · object · coach · bat · trunk

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. 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. can — a tin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bat — the animal
  5. object — an aim
  6. tear — from crying
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — a thing
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. tear — from crying
  19. can — a tin
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. tear — to rip
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. 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