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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 · date · swing · net · leaves · pass · face · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. trunk — of an elephant
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. swing — to play on
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pass — a permit
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. face — to confront
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. swing — in golf
  15. net — in sport
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. swing — music
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. date — the fruit
  23. face — part of the head
  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