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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: coach · pass · trunk · rush · key · lash · cold · wave

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cold — an illness
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. key — in music
  9. cold — not warm
  10. key — the most important part
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pass — a permit
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cold — the Cold War

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