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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 112 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · rest · coach · bat · charge · current · wax · trunk

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. current — happening now
  3. rest — a break
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. current — electric
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. current — of water
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. charge — in control
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wax — to grow
  19. charge — a price
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. charge — electricity

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