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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: trunk · coach · pound · chest · date · band · hide · chip

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. band — a music group
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pound — a weight
  8. chip — for betting
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. band — a ring
  16. chest — of your body
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. chip — to eat
  24. hide — animal skin

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