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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 120 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: chair · trunk · bay · hide · pitch · mate · coach · leaves

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. mate — a friend
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. mate — a partner
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pitch — completely
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chair — a leader
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chair — a professorship

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