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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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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: last · cap · firm · rash · trunk · ruler · coach · hand

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. last — final
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. hand — help
  7. cap — a lid
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rash — hasty
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cap — a hat
  13. last — finally
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. firm — a company
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. last — to go on
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cap — of ice
  24. firm — decided

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