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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.

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: tube · mug · hand · coach · trunk · suit · mine · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. suit — in cards
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. hand — help
  6. tube — a container
  7. mine — for digging
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mug — a cup
  10. tube — the underground
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. hand — in cards
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. suit — clothes
  19. mug — a face
  20. suit — to fit
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. leaves — lets stay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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