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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: rest · mine · mouse · ball · coach · drill · trunk · perch

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rest — a break
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mine — for digging
  10. perch — the fish
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. drill — army training
  21. ball — a great time
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ball — a dance

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