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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 116 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: race · trunk · chair · track · sharp · wake · plane · coach

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. race — humankind
  3. chair — a leader
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. race — the arms race
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. track — a song
  9. sharp — clever
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. track — to keep track
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. race — a contest
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. track — a path
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. plane — a tool
  24. coach — a trainer

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