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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: foot · shower · board · coach · nail · rule · trunk · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. shower — rain
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. board — a committee
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. board — to get on
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rule — a law
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. shower — to wash
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rule — government
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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