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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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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: rule · safe · snap · trunk · cabinet · chest · wind · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wind — moving air
  4. chest — a box
  5. rule — government
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. chest — of your body
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. wind — moving air
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rule — a law
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. snap — to click

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