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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.

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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: bat · coach · trunk · wind · nail · tube · safe · bear

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. tube — a container
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bat — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bear — the animal

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