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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.

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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: coach · deal · saw · content · pop · trunk · leaves · tube

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. content — happy
  6. deal — to handle
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. tube — a container
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pop — to visit
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. saw — the tool
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. content — the amount
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. tube — the underground
  22. saw — the tool
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pop — soda

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