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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.

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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: wake · coach · sharp · trunk · row · current · pass · vault

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pass — a permit
  5. current — happening now
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wake — a trail
  11. row — a line
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. vault — a safe
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. current — of water
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. row — to paddle
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. current — electric
  24. trunk — of a car

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