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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: rush · last · mark · charge · trunk · coach · season · key

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. charge — a price
  3. last — to go on
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mark — a grade
  6. key — in music
  7. charge — in control
  8. rush — hurry
  9. last — final
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. key — the most important part
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. season — in sport
  19. key — for a lock
  20. last — finally
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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