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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: bowl · bound · kid · trunk · key · calf · tube · coach

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. kid — child
  9. bound — tied together
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. key — in music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. tube — the underground
  15. kid — to tease
  16. key — the most important part
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bound — certain
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. tube — a container
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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