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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: trunk · nail · rule · scale · spring · last · coach · cabinet

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. scale — in music
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. last — finally
  7. rule — government
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. spring — the season
  12. scale — size or range
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. spring — a coil
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. spring — of water
  21. last — final
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. last — to go on
  24. coach — a trainer

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