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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: wind · nail · last · trunk · tube · coach · plane · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. tube — a container
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. firm — decided
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. last — to go on
  8. wind — moving air
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wind — moving air
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. firm — steady
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. tube — the underground
  19. plane — a tool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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