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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: coach · bass · saw · nail · trunk · mine · pop · leaves

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bass — the fish
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pop — soda
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pop — music
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. saw — the tool
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bass — low music
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — for digging
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. saw — the tool

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