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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: wind · pitcher · coach · bay · stick · face · trunk · rush

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. face — part of the head
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wind — moving air
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. face — to point toward
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wind — moving air
  14. face — to confront
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. coach — a trainer

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