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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: tube · rash · trunk · rule · club · coach · kick · rush

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. club — for golf
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. club — for dancing
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rash — hasty
  13. club — a group
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rush — hurry
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rule — a law
  20. kick — in football
  21. tube — a container
  22. rule — government
  23. rash — a series
  24. tube — the underground

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