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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.

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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 · lie · row · squash · chip · coach · wind · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. chip — for betting
  4. tube — the underground
  5. fine — all right
  6. row — a line
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. tube — a container
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. row — to paddle
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. squash — to crush
  20. wind — moving air
  21. squash — the sport
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fine — high quality

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