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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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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: coach · band · pit · trunk · cell · mark · sharp · face

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pit — a hole
  3. cell — in biology
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. face — to confront
  6. mark — a trace
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cell — a phone
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. face — part of the head
  11. sharp — clever
  12. band — a music group
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. pit — in a race
  21. face — to point toward
  22. band — a ring
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. coach — a trainer

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