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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 120 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: hand · coach · fine · saw · scale · bear · nail · trunk

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. fine — high quality
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. scale — in music
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. scale — size or range
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. saw — the tool
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. fine — all right
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hand — in cards
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. hand — help

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