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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: hand · bore · rest · mouse · content · fine · trunk · coach

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. fine — high quality
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bore — to tire
  7. content — the amount
  8. hand — help
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bore — to drill
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. rest — a break
  14. content — happy
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fine — all right
  21. hand — in cards
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. trunk — of a tree

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