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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: tube · craft · wound · row · fan · coach

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wound — an injury
  4. row — to paddle
  5. craft — boats
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. tube — the underground
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. craft — a skill
  12. row — a line
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. craft — a handicraft

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