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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: saw · hand · toast · rush · trunk · coach · key · mate

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. saw — the tool
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. hand — help
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. saw — the tool
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. key — the most important part
  13. hand — in cards
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mate — to breed
  18. key — in music
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rush — hurry
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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