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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: coach · tube · wind · wake · pound · tear · fine · can

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. tube — a container
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. can — a tin
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. tube — the underground
  12. can — a tin
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wind — moving air
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pound — a weight
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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