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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 · trunk · coach · row · mouse · lean · leaves · track

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. track — to keep track
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. track — a song
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. track — a path
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. row — a line
  19. row — to paddle
  20. lean — to bend
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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