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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: saw · perch · trunk · board · nail · chest · file · toast

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. file — a document
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. chest — a box
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. board — to get on
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. board — a committee
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. perch — the fish
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. chest — of your body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. nail — on a finger

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