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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: rock · dip · saw · straw · trunk · cabinet · coach · nail

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rock — a stone
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. saw — the tool
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. dip — to sink
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rock — 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