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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: coach · pound · hand · cabinet · season · trunk · safe · bear

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bear — the animal
  3. season — in sport
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. hand — help
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. season — of the year
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bear — the animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pound — a weight
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. cabinet — ministers

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