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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: tear · wound · coach · trunk · mug · lie · saw · stand

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mug — to rob
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mug — a cup
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lie — to recline
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mug — a face
  24. trunk — of a car

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