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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: coach · rule · fan · mine · safe · suit · track · trunk

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. suit — to fit
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. suit — in cards
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. suit — clothes
  19. mine — for digging
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rule — a law
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. coach — a trainer

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