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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
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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: bear · trunk · capital · nail · coach · deal · toast · bore

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bear — the animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. toast — bread
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. capital — a city
  16. deal — to handle
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bore — to drill
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. capital — money
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bore — to tire
  24. nail — for a hammer

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