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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: bear · drill · coach · content · staff · bank · fan · tube

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. drill — the tool
  8. staff — employees
  9. content — the amount
  10. bank — for money
  11. bear — the animal
  12. staff — employees
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bear — the animal
  17. tube — a container
  18. content — happy
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bear — to put up with

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