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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: hide · coach · bore · rest · chip · stick · wake · trunk

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bore — to drill
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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