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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: lie · staff · mug · coach · nail · pit · cabinet · trunk

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. staff — employees
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mug — a face
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mug — a cup
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pit — a hole

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