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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.

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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: mate · fall · wake · coach · stand · bass · tube · can

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bass — low music
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mate — a friend
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wake — a trail
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. can — a tin
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stand — to bear
  14. tube — the underground
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fall — the season
  18. tube — a container
  19. can — a tin
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. tube — in a tire

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