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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: tube · saw · row · coach · bank · kick · bat · bound

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. kick — in football
  11. row — a line
  12. bank — for money
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bank — for money
  15. saw — the tool
  16. tube — the underground
  17. saw — the tool
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bat — the animal
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. tube — a container

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