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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: roll · tube · lean · coach · can · pass · bass · plane

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a list
  4. can — a tin
  5. roll — a cake
  6. pass — a permit
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bass — low music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lean — thin
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bass — the fish
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. can — a tin
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. can — to be able to
  20. plane — a tool
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bass — the instrument

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