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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. file — a document
  9. track — a path
  10. rock — a stone
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bound — certain
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rock — music
  16. file — a tool
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bound — tied together
  20. chest — a box
  21. file — a line of people
  22. track — to keep track
  23. chest — of your body
  24. track — a song

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