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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 120 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: bark · coach · trunk · lean · rest · pass · march · ruler

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. lean — thin
  4. rest — what's left
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. march — the month
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. march — the month
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bark — to shout
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rest — what's left
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rest — a break
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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