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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.

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: rest · wound · mug · tube · plane · straw · coach · deal

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. deal — to handle
  3. tube — a container
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mug — a face
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rest — a break
  10. tube — the underground
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mug — to rob
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mug — a cup
  24. wound — an injury

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