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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: squash · tube · wake · club · coach · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. 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. bore — gave birth
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. club — for dancing
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bore — to tire
  14. club — for golf
  15. squash — the sport
  16. club — a group
  17. bore — to drill
  18. 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