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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: nail · trunk · coach · pitcher · bound · roll · plane · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. roll — a cake
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. roll — a list
  24. plane — in geometry

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