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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 120 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: trunk · safe · object · spell · row · chair · coach · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. row — to paddle
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. spell — letters
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chair — a leader
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. object — an aim
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. spell — a short time
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spell — magic
  24. rash — a series

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