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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: tube · race · coach · toast · leaves · track · clip · foot

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. toast — bread
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. clip — to cut
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. foot — a measure
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — a video
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. race — the arms race
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. track — a song
  24. leaves — to go away

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