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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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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: lean · trunk · rest · race · coach · board · squash · pass

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. race — humankind
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. squash — the sport
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rest — a break
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rest — what's left
  12. board — to get on
  13. lean — thin
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. race — a contest
  18. board — a committee
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. rest — what's left
  24. race — the arms race

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