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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
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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 · roll · tear · cap · chest · mug · coach · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mug — to rob
  3. cap — a hat
  4. mug — a cup
  5. cap — a lid
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. tear — from crying
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. suit — to fit
  10. roll — a cake
  11. suit — clothes
  12. chest — of your body
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. tear — to rip
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. chest — of your body
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mug — a face
  22. chest — a box
  23. cap — of ice
  24. roll — a list

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