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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: bore · tube · coach · cabinet · mark · current · rush · stick

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mark — a grade
  4. rush — hurry
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. current — electric
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bore — to tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. current — happening now
  20. tube — a container
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. current — of water

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