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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: suit · cap · patient · bear · race · tube · rush · coach

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. suit — to fit
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. suit — in cards
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cap — a lid
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cap — of ice
  16. race — humankind
  17. bear — the animal
  18. suit — clothes
  19. race — a contest
  20. cap — a hat
  21. race — the arms race
  22. tube — a container
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

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