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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: coach · saw · fine · can · firm · wave · tube · toast

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. can — a tin
  4. fine — high quality
  5. saw — the tool
  6. tube — a container
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. can — to be able to
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. toast — bread
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. saw — the tool
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. fine — all right
  21. can — a tin
  22. firm — a company
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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