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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: present · coach · mine · trunk · last · bark · key · lie

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. lie — to recline
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. last — finally
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. present — a gift
  10. bark — to shout
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — in music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. key — the most important part
  18. last — to go on
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. last — final
  23. present — there
  24. lie — an untruth

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