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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: coach · roll · band · dip · sharp · squash · tube · vault

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. sharp — clever
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. squash — the sport
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. tube — a container
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. band — a ring
  19. roll — a cake
  20. vault — a safe
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. tube — the underground
  23. band — a music group
  24. roll — a list

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