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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: mate · lean · content · trunk · court · coach · rule · mine

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. lean — thin
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. court — of law
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. content — the amount
  11. lean — to bend
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. rule — government
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rule — a law
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. content — happy
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mine — for digging
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mate — a friend
  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