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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 · last · bear · vault · tube · rush · trunk · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. last — finally
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. tube — the underground
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. last — final
  15. chip — to eat
  16. vault — a safe
  17. tube — a container
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. last — to go on
  24. bear — the animal

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