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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: bound · sharp · ground · row · coach · rash · trunk · band

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. row — to paddle
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rash — a series
  6. ground — crushed
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bound — tied together
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. band — a music group
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bound — obliged
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. row — a line
  20. rash — hasty
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. band — a ring
  23. bound — certain
  24. trunk — of a car

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