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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 120 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: nail · mouse · mine · coach · wound · can · perch · trunk

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. can — a tin
  20. mine — for digging
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. nail — for a hammer

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