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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: wound · lie · trunk · coach · key · date · net · stick

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wound — an injury
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. net — for catching
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. date — the fruit
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. lie — to recline
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. key — in music
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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