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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: squash · tear · trunk · band · leaves · rule · coach · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. squash — to crush
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rule — government
  13. squash — the sport
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rash — hasty
  16. band — a music group
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. tear — from crying
  19. band — a ring
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rule — a law
  24. tear — to rip

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