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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: board · fan · trunk · straw · sharp · charge · track · coach

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. track — a song
  3. board — a committee
  4. track — a path
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. track — to keep track
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. charge — electricity
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. board — to get on
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. sharp — clever
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — a price
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. straw — dry grass
  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