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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · coach · trunk · racket · lie · mouse · mate · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mate — to breed
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. march — the month
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mate — a partner
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. band — a music group
  19. march — the month
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. march — music
  22. lie — to recline
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mate — a friend

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