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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 116 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: trunk · mark · chair · bowl · coach · wake · rest · ruler

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wake — a trail
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rest — a break
  15. mark — a grade
  16. chair — a leader
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mark — a trace
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. trunk — of a tree

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