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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: bear · current · lean · perch · mark · rock · coach · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rock — a stone
  4. lean — thin
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. perch — the fish
  7. tube — a container
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mark — a grade
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bear — the animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bear — the animal

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