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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 · safe · scale · wave · plane · trunk · kid · jam

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. kid — to tease
  3. scale — size or range
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. kid — child
  14. plane — a tool
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. scale — in music

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