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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.

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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: kick · track · coach · shower · tube · file · season · safe

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. kick — in football
  8. file — a tool
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tube — a container
  12. track — a path
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. season — of the year
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. track — a song
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. shower — rain
  20. track — to keep track
  21. file — a document
  22. shower — to wash
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. tube — the underground

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