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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 116 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: track · trunk · coach · mate · safe · spell · ball · sharp

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. sharp — clever
  8. track — a song
  9. spell — letters
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. track — to keep track
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. spell — a short time
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mate — a partner
  17. ball — a great time
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mate — to breed
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. track — a path
  23. mate — a friend
  24. spell — magic

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