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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · key · saw · stem · lash · wind · coach · tube

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wind — moving air
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. saw — the tool
  7. net — after costs
  8. tube — the underground
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. tube — a container
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. key — for a lock
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. key — in music
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. stem — to come from
  20. key — the most important part
  21. saw — the tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. wind — to turn a key

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