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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: key · leaves · stick · coach · date · shower · capital · trunk

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. shower — to wash
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. key — in music
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. capital — money
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. key — the most important part
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. date — the fruit
  20. key — for a lock
  21. capital — a city
  22. shower — rain
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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