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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: spell · bank · object · present · wound · coach · can · tube

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. present — the time now
  3. bank — of a river
  4. can — a tin
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. object — to protest
  8. tube — a container
  9. wound — an injury
  10. object — a thing
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. can — to be able to
  13. present — a gift
  14. object — an aim
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bank — for money
  17. present — there
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. bank — for money
  22. can — a tin
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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