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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 116 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.

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: net · fan · rush · bound · wave · coach · saw · tube

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. saw — the tool
  5. net — for catching
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bound — certain
  8. rush — hurry
  9. saw — the tool
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. net — after costs
  13. bound — tied together
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. net — in sport
  18. tube — a container
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fan — to cool the air

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