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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: object · coach · squash · stand · trunk · chair · rush · cap

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cap — of ice
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. squash — to crush
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chair — a leader
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stand — to bear
  20. object — an aim
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. cap — a hat
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. object — a thing

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