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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: sharp · trunk · coach · wind · root · last · file · tube

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. file — a document
  4. last — final
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. file — a tool
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. file — a line of people
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. root — of a word
  21. last — finally
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. last — to go on
  24. tube — in a tire

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