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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: coach · tube · rush · bound · sharp · face · bowl · scale

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. tube — a container
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. face — to point toward
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. face — to confront
  9. scale — size or range
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bound — obliged
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. tube — the underground
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. scale — in music
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bound — tied together
  24. face — part of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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