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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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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: club · cell · coach · lean · mouse · trunk · cap · bear

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. lean — to bend
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bear — the animal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cell — in biology
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. club — for golf
  12. cell — a phone
  13. club — a group
  14. bear — the animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cap — of ice
  19. lean — thin
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. club — for dancing

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