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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 120 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: tear · fine · bound · vault · pit · saw · tube · coach

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pit — in a race
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pit — a hole
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. vault — a safe
  16. tube — a container
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bound — obliged
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. fine — high quality

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