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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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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: squash · stand · charge · coach · wound · ruler · chest · trunk

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. chest — of your body
  7. charge — a price
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chest — a box
  12. charge — electricity
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. stand — to bear
  16. charge — in control
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. wound — an injury
  23. squash — the sport
  24. stand — on your feet

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