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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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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: net · trunk · stick · temple · drill · bore · fall · coach

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bore — to tire
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. drill — a practice
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — in sport
  13. fall — the season
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. net — after costs
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bore — to drill
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  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