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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: perch · trunk · rash · coach · prune · band · current · chair

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rash — hasty
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rash — a series
  7. band — a ring
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. chair — a leader
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. band — a music group
  18. perch — the fish
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. prune — the fruit

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