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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.

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: swing · coach · date · bowl · kick · arm · season · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. date — the fruit
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. swing — in golf
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. season — in sport
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. swing — to play on
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. season — of the year
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. swing — music
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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