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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 · race · squash · board · coach · bay · mark · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. board — a committee
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. race — a contest
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. race — humankind
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. squash — the sport
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. race — the arms race
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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