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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.

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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: vault · patient · tube · rest · race · bound · coach · rash

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bound — certain
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rest — what's left
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. race — a contest
  10. rash — hasty
  11. tube — a container
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. tube — the underground
  17. vault — a safe
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. race — humankind
  20. rash — a series
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. race — the arms race
  24. coach — a trainer

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