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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. spring — a coil
  3. tube — the underground
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. band — a ring
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fine — high quality
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. tube — a container
  12. fine — all right
  13. net — for catching
  14. spring — the season
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. net — after costs
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. band — a music group
  22. net — in sport
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spring — of water

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