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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: mouse · last · rock · trunk · row · nail · file · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. last — finally
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. file — a document
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. last — to go on
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. last — final
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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