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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 116 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 · ruler · hide · coach · track · perch · bulb · trunk

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bulb — for light
  5. track — to keep track
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. track — a song
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bulb — for light
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. perch — the fish
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hand — help
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. track — a path

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