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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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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: prune · game · wound · bay · trunk · coach · bulb · suit

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. suit — clothes
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bulb — for light
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. game — a match
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. game — wild animals
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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