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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: mug · coach · trunk · sharp · tube · chest · last · rock

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chest — of your body
  3. tube — the underground
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — to rob
  10. sharp — clever
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. chest — a box
  13. last — final
  14. tube — a container
  15. mug — a cup
  16. last — to go on
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. last — finally

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